A fascinating feature of interactions between two people is that neural network activity patterns in their brain can become synchronized. In this episode Francesco Papaleo talks about research studies in which activities of neuronal networks are recorded simultaneously in interacting humans or mice. His work has recently focused on the role of interbrain synchronization in the prefrontal cortex in emotion recognition and empathy. He summarizes this research and its implications as follows:

Interacting brains operate as an integrated system, with neural dynamics coevolving over time. Neuronal synchronization across brains has been observed in a range of species, including humans, monkeys, bats, and mice. This inter-neural synchrony (INS) has been proposed as a potential mechanism facilitating social interaction by enabling the functional integration of multiple brains.. Individual responses, such as emotion processing or decision-making, are adjusted and updated based on information that is continuously exchanged among the interacting partners

LINKS

Dr. Papaleo’s webpage at the Italian Institute of Technology

https://www.iit.it/people-details/-/people/francesco-papaleo

Review article on multi-brain dynamics

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763424004342?via%3Dihub

Self-experience of another’s stress

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-024-01816-y

Cortical – cortical transfer during social interactions

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-024-01647-x

Prosocial vs selfish behaviors

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-022-01179-2