fMRI Signatures and Behavioural Correlates of Self and Empathic Pain
This project examined neural activation and functional connectivity during self-experienced and empathic pain using an open-source fMRI dataset. Analyses focused on several regions of interest, including the anterior cingulate (ACC) and insular (IC) cortices, exploring links to loneliness and social connectedness. Results showed greater activation during self-experienced pain compared to empathic pain, with loneliness predicting ACC activation in the meditation group. No significant differences in connectivity between conditions were found, though some associations with social connectedness emerged. The workflow and results are available in a reproducible GitHub repository.