# The shared neural substrates of emotional mimicry and emotional contagion: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis and meta-analytic connectivity modeling analysis

## TL;DR

This study explores the brain regions involved in emotional mimicry and emotional contagion, finding both shared and distinct neural activity.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a meta-analytic approach combining activation likelihood estimation and connectivity modeling to compare emotional mimicry and contagion.

## Key findings

- Shared brain regions include the cingulate gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule.
- MACM analysis highlights co-activation of the thalamus, putamen, precentral gyrus, and insula.
- Contrast analyses reveal distinct regions activated by emotional mimicry and contagion.

## Abstract

Emotional contagion is an important aspect of social interaction. Traditional theories suggest that it relies on mimicry of facial or emotional movements. To address the question of whether there is a distinction between emotional contagion and emotional mimicry, we conducted a meta-analysis using the Activation Likelihood Estimation algorithm to identify brain regions activated by the two tasks. We then evaluated the co-activation patterns of these common regions using meta-analytic connectivity modelling (MACM). The results show partial overlap in brain regions, such as the cingulate gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule, between emotional contagion and emotional mimicry. Contrast analyses further identified distinct brain regions activated by each task. MACM analysis indicated that regions including the thalamus, putamen, precentral gyrus, and insula play critical roles in the co-activation network.