Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Assess Brain Activation Evoked by Guilt and Shame

Abstract

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a promising brain imaging modality for studying the neural substrates of moral emotions. However, the feasibility of using fNIRS to measure moral emotions has not been established. In the present study, we used fNIRS to detect the brain activation evoked by two typical moral emotions-guilt and shame. We presented the participants with guilt and shame context to evoke emotional responses and measured the brain activity by using fNIRS. The univariate general linear model analysis showed significant activations for both emotions in the orbitofrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and middle temporal gyrus, and specific activation for guilt in the right temporoparietal junction. The multivariate classification analysis showed an overall recognition accuracy of 52.50%, which was significantly higher than the chance level in classifying the guilt, shame, and neutral emotions. These results suggested the feasibility of using fNIRS to assess the brain activation evoked by guilt and shame and demonstrated the potentials of fNIRS in studying the neural correlates of moral emotions.

Self-Conscious Emotions and the Right Fronto-Temporal and Right Temporal Parietal Junction

“…Duan et al found that shame and embarrassment resulted in increased activity in the inferior temporal, anterior temporal regions, and the parietal gyrus [ 84 ], similar to those found in guilt [ 79 , 81 ]. Tapping into social cognition [ 85 ], it has also been found that witnessing the self-embarrassment of others activates the right middle temporal gyrus (rMTG) and the rTPJ [ 86 ].…”

Understanding the cognitive and neuroimaging bases underlying the detrimental impact of sleep deprivation on reciprocity

“…Moreover, here we found that the participants’ communal concern (gratitude and guilt) also increased as a function of TPJ activation in different conditions. 73 , 74 For example, TPJ has been shown to be correlated with gratitude. 75 The TPJ is also activated in studies involving the guilt condition.…”

Brain responses in aggression-prone individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of anger- and aggression-eliciting tasks

“…Exploring the use of VR to elicit aggression will require specific safety protocols to minimize ethical and safety concerns (159). Alternative devices that are less sensitive to motion, such as electroencephalogram (EEG) or functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) could also be used (160,161).…”