Acetaminophen study yields new insights into neurobiological underpinnings of empathy

Abstract

Empathy is a cornerstone of social behavior, impairments of which are characteristic of neuropsychi-atric disorders such as autism and psychopathy. According to the “shared representations” theory, empathy relies on neural processes similar to those underpinning the first-hand experience of a given emotion. A recent study by Mischkowski, Crocker, and Way (Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 11: 1345–1353, 2016) provides novel insights into neurobiological underpinnings of empathy by demonstrating that acetaminophen, a widely used painkiller, reduces empathy for other’s physical and social pain.