@article{pmid41168172,

title = {Objective Social Isolation Predicts Perspective-Taking and Empathic Concern},

author = {Elliot Gagner and Audrey Marcoux and Marie-Hélène Tessier and Philip L Jackson},

doi = {10.1177/00332941251393658},

issn = {1558-691X},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-10-01},

journal = {Psychol Rep},

pages = {332941251393658},

abstract = {Perceived social isolation (PSI) predicts adverse health and behaviour problems better than objective social isolation (OSI). PSI is related to higher sensitivity to negative emotional states and emotional dysregulation. Some studies suggest that the more socially isolated people feel, the more sensitive they are to the suffering of others, yet the less empathic they are. However, no study has tested the association between social isolation and empathy while distinguishing their state and trait forms. This study examined how individuals with high- and low-PSI trait perceived and empathized with virtual agents displaying facial expressions. Sixty-six healthy young adults (38 women) were equally divided into high- or low-trait PSI subgroups. All participants reported their current state of PSI and then watched short videos of virtual agents showing facial expressions of physical pain or sadness. For each video, participants rated the perceived intensity of affective states and empathy felt (state empathy). They also completed questionnaires on trait empathy, OSI, moods, and depressive symptomatology. The results showed no effect of group (high- or low-trait PSI), facial expression (pain, sadness), or their interaction on state empathy and intensity mean ratings. However, regression analyses revealed that OSI specifically predicted perspective-taking and empathic concern aspects of trait empathy, whereas trait PSI predicted the personal distress aspect. These findings suggest that social skills may play a role in maintaining and developing relationships but are not linked to one's perception of their quality. This work highlights the importance of differentiating objective from perceived social isolation, given their distinct associations with specific social processes and skills, such as empathy. This distinction could further help develop more targeted interventions to alleviate social isolation.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid40202789,

title = {A New Mobile App to Train Attention Processes in People With Traumatic Brain Injury: Logical and Ecological Content Validation Study},

author = {Roxanne Laverdière and Philip L Jackson and Frédéric Banville},

doi = {10.2196/64174},

issn = {2561-326X},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-04-01},

journal = {JMIR Form Res},

volume = {9},

pages = {e64174},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Attention is at the base of more complex cognitive processes, and its deficits can significantly impact safety and health. Attention can be impaired by neurodevelopmental and acquired disorders. One validated theoretical model to explain attention processes and their deficits is the hierarchical model of Sohlberg and Mateer. This model guides intervention development to improve attention following an acquired disorder. Another way to stimulate attention functions is to engage in the daily practice of mindfulness, a multicomponent concept that can be explained by the theoretical model of Baer and colleagues. Mobile apps offer great potential for practicing mindfulness daily as they can easily be used during daily routines, thus facilitating transfer. Laverdière and colleagues have developed such a mobile app called Focusing, which is aimed at attention training using mindfulness-inspired attentional exercises. However, this app has not been scientifically validated.nnOBJECTIVE: This research aims to analyze the logical content validity and ecological content validity of the Focusing app.nnMETHODS: Logical content validation was performed by 7 experts in neuropsychology and mindfulness. Using an online questionnaire, they determined whether the content of the attention training app exercises is representative of selected constructs, namely the theoretical model of attention by Sohlberg and Mateer and the theoretical model of mindfulness by Baer and colleagues. A focus group was subsequently held with the experts to discuss items that did not reach consensus in order to change or remove them. Ecological content validation was performed with 10 healthy adults. Participants had to explore all sections of the app and assess the usability, relevance, satisfaction, quality, attractiveness, and cognitive load associated with each section of the app, using online questionnaires.nnRESULTS: Logical content validation results demonstrated a high content validity index (CVI) of the attention training app. Excellent scores (CVI ≥0.78) in both the attention and mindfulness models were obtained for all exercises in the app, except 2 exercises. One of these exercises was subsequently modified to include expert feedback, and one was removed. Regarding ecological content validation, the results showed that workload, quality, user experience, satisfaction, and relevance of the app were adequate. The Mobile Application Rating Scale questionnaire showed an average quality rating between 3.75/5 (SD 0.41) (objective quality) and 3.65/5 (SD 0.36) (subjective quality), indicating acceptable quality. The mean global attractiveness rating from the AttrakDiff questionnaire was 2.36/3 (SD 0.57), which represents one of the strengths of the app.nnCONCLUSIONS: Logical and ecological content validation showed that Focusing is theoretically valid, with a high level of agreement among experts and healthy participants. This tool can be tested to train attention processes after a neurological insult such as traumatic brain injury.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid39367878,

title = {Attention, working memory, and inhibitory control in aging: Comparing amateur singers, instrumentalists, and active controls},

author = {Marilyne Joyal and Alexandre Sicard and Virginia Penhune and Philip L Jackson and Pascale Tremblay},

doi = {10.1111/nyas.15230},

issn = {1749-6632},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-11-01},

journal = {Ann N Y Acad Sci},

volume = {1541},

number = {1},

pages = {163--180},

abstract = {Despite the ubiquity of musical activities, little is known about the specificity of their association with executive functions. In this cross-sectional study, we examined this relationship as a function of age. Our main hypotheses were that executive functions would decline in older age, that this relationship would be reduced in singers and instrumentalists compared to nonmusician active controls, and that the amount of musical experience would be more strongly associated with executive functions compared to the specific type of activity. A sample of 122 cognitively healthy adults aged 20-88 years was recruited, consisting of 39 amateur singers, 43 amateur instrumentalists, and 40 nonmusician controls. Tests of auditory processing speed, auditory selective attention, auditory and visual inhibitory control, and auditory working memory were administered. The results confirm a negative relationship between age and executive functions. While musicians' advantages were found in selective attention, inhibitory control, and auditory working memory, these advantages were specific rather than global. Furthermore, most of these advantages were independent of age and experience. Finally, there were only limited differences between instrumentalists and singers, suggesting that the relationship between music-making activities and executive functions may be, at least in part, general as opposed to activity-specific.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid38777852,

title = {Facial representations of complex affective states combining pain and a negative emotion},

author = {Marie-Hélène Tessier and Jean-Philippe Mazet and Elliot Gagner and Audrey Marcoux and Philip L Jackson},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-024-62423-2},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-05-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {14},

number = {1},

pages = {11686},

abstract = {Pain is rarely communicated alone, as it is often accompanied by emotions such as anger or sadness. Communicating these affective states involves shared representations. However, how an individual conceptually represents these combined states must first be tested. The objective of this study was to measure the interaction between pain and negative emotions on two types of facial representations of these states, namely visual (i.e., interactive virtual agents; VAs) and sensorimotor (i.e., one's production of facial configurations). Twenty-eight participants (15 women) read short written scenarios involving only pain or a combined experience of pain and a negative emotion (anger, disgust, fear, or sadness). They produced facial configurations representing these experiences on the faces of the VAs and on their face (own production or imitation of VAs). The results suggest that affective states related to a direct threat to the body (i.e., anger, disgust, and pain) share a similar facial representation, while those that present no immediate danger (i.e., fear and sadness) differ. Although visual and sensorimotor representations of these states provide congruent affective information, they are differently influenced by factors associated with the communication cycle. These findings contribute to our understanding of pain communication in different affective contexts.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid38622634,

title = {Towards efficient motor imagery interventions after lower-limb amputation},

author = {Elodie Saruco and Arnaud Saimpont and Franck Di Rienzo and Benjamin De Witte and Isabelle Laroyenne and Fanny Matéo and Marion Lapenderie and Sarah Goutte Solard and Isabelle Perretant and Charlotte Frenot and Philip L Jackson and Aymeric Guillot},

doi = {10.1186/s12984-024-01348-3},

issn = {1743-0003},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-04-01},

journal = {J Neuroeng Rehabil},

volume = {21},

number = {1},

pages = {55},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: The therapeutic benefits of motor imagery (MI) are now well-established in different populations of persons suffering from central nervous system impairments. However, research on similar efficacy of MI interventions after amputation remains scarce, and experimental studies were primarily designed to explore the effects of MI after upper-limb amputations.nnOBJECTIVES: The present comparative study therefore aimed to assess the effects of MI on locomotion recovery following unilateral lower-limb amputation.nnMETHODS: Nineteen participants were assigned either to a MI group (n = 9) or a control group (n = 10). In addition to the course of physical therapy, they respectively performed 10 min per day of locomotor MI training or neutral cognitive exercises, five days per week. Participants' locomotion functions were assessed through two functional tasks: 10 m walking and the Timed Up and Go Test. Force of the amputated limb and functional level score reflecting the required assistance for walking were also measured. Evaluations were scheduled at the arrival at the rehabilitation center (right after amputation), after prosthesis fitting (three weeks later), and at the end of the rehabilitation program. A retention test was also programed after 6 weeks.nnRESULTS: While there was no additional effect of MI on pain management, data revealed an early positive impact of MI for the 10 m walking task during the pre-prosthetic phase, and greater performance during the Timed Up and Go Test during the prosthetic phase. Also, a lower proportion of participants still needed a walking aid after MI training. Finally, the force of the amputated limb was greater at the end of rehabilitation for the MI group.nnCONCLUSION: Taken together, these data support the integration of MI within the course of physical therapy in persons suffering from lower-limb amputations.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid37560681,

title = {Biological postural oscillations during facial expression of pain in virtual characters modulate early and late ERP components associated with empathy: A pilot study},

author = {Thomas Treal and Philip L Jackson and Aurore Meugnot},

doi = {10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18161},

issn = {2405-8440},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-08-01},

journal = {Heliyon},

volume = {9},

number = {8},

pages = {e18161},

abstract = {There is a surge in the use of virtual characters in cognitive sciences. However, their behavioural realism remains to be perfected in order to trigger more spontaneous and socially expected reactions in users. It was recently shown that biological postural oscillations (idle motion) were a key ingredient to enhance the empathic response to its facial pain expression. The objective of this study was to examine, using electroencephalography, whether idle motion would modulate the neural response associated with empathy when viewing a pain-expressing virtual character. Twenty healthy young adults were shown video clips of a virtual character displaying a facial expression of pain while its body was either static () or animated with pre-recorded human postural oscillations (). Participants rated the virtual human's facial expression of pain as significantly more intense in the  compared to the . Both the early (N2-N3) and the late (rLPP) event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with distinct dimensions of empathy, affective resonance and perspective-taking, respectively, were greater in the  compared to the . These findings confirm the potential of idle motion to increase empathy for pain expressed by virtual characters. They are discussed in line with contemporary empathy models in relation to human-machine interactions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid35413444,

title = {Reappraisal and empathic perspective-taking - More alike than meets the eyes},

author = {Carmen Morawetz and Stella Berboth and Nils Kohn and Philip L Jackson and Josiane Jauniaux},

doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119194},

issn = {1095-9572},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-07-01},

journal = {Neuroimage},

volume = {255},

pages = {119194},

abstract = {Emotion regulation and empathy represent highly intertwined psychological processes sharing common conceptual ground. Despite the wealth of research in these fields, the joint and distinct functional nature and topological features of these constructs have not yet been investigated using the same experimental approach. This study investigated the common and distinct neural correlates of emotion regulation and empathy using a meta-analytic approach. The regions that were jointly activated were then characterized using meta-analytic connectivity modeling and functional decoding of metadata terms. The results revealed convergent activity within the ventrolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex as well as temporal regions. The functional decoding analysis demonstrated that emotion regulation and empathy were related to highly similar executive and internally oriented processes. This synthesis underlining strong functional and neuronal correspondence between emotion regulation and empathy could (i) facilitate greater integration of these two separate lines of literature, (ii) accelerate progress toward elucidating the neural mechanisms that support social cognition, and (iii) push forward the development of a common theoretical framework for these psychological processes essential to human social interactions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid35743531,

title = {Clients in Simulated Teletherapy via Videoconference Compensate for Altered Eye Contact When Evaluating Therapist Empathy},

author = {Frédéric Grondin and Anna M Lomanowska and Vincent Poiré and Philip L Jackson},

doi = {10.3390/jcm11123461},

issn = {2077-0383},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-06-01},

journal = {J Clin Med},

volume = {11},

number = {12},

abstract = {Eye contact is frequently associated with an increased perception of empathy and telepresence, but the currently used videoconferencing (VC) technologies diminish the possibility of naturally conveying eye contact. This study compared the empathy, telepresence, and eye gaze patterns of clients in simulated VC teletherapy sessions where eye contact was altered or facilitated. Forty-two would-be clients met with one of four therapists in training for one 20-min simulated teletherapy session taking place via VC. The session either altered or facilitated eye contact perception by manipulating the positioning of the webcams and of the clients in their chair. Eye-tracking data focusing on the eyes, face, and general body regions of interest were obtained for 25 clients. The results show that facilitating eye contact in VC did not increase the clients' perceptions of empathy or telepresence. However, empathy was associated with greater time spent looking at the eyes and faces of the therapists, but only in the sessions facilitating eye contact. We suggest that clients successfully rely on other verbal and nonverbal cues to detect therapist empathy when eye contact is altered in teletherapy sessions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid35305500,

title = {Functional connectivity patterns of trait empathy are associated with age},

author = {Marie-Pier B Tremblay and Isabelle Deschamps and Béatrice Tousignant and Philip L Jackson},

doi = {10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105859},

issn = {1090-2147},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-06-01},

journal = {Brain Cogn},

volume = {159},

pages = {105859},

abstract = {Empathy is the capacity to feel and understand others' mental states. In some individuals, there is an imbalance between the affective and cognitive components of empathy, which can lead to deficits. This study investigated the functional connectivity of the anterior insula (AI) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which play key roles in empathy, in covariation with the affective and cognitive subscales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), as a function of age and sex, as an exploratory analysis. Seed-based functional connectivity analyses were performed on 33 healthy participants that were subdivided according to their age (16 adults and 17 adolescents) and sex (16 women and 17 men). Adolescents reported lower cognitive empathy than adults and men less affective empathy than women. The connectivity of the dmPFC and AI, in covariation with the cognitive and affective subscales of empathy, respectively, differed between adolescents and adults, but was similar in men and women. Adolescents had patterns of negative covariations between the regions of interest and many brain regions associated with the default-mode and salience networks. These findings support that lower self-report levels of empathy in certain individuals could be reflected in the functional connectivity patterns of the dmPFC and AI.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid34057795,

title = {Pain evaluation and prosocial behaviour are affected by age and sex},

author = {Chloé Gingras and Michel-Pierre Coll and Marie-Hélène Tessier and Pascale Tremblay and Philip L Jackson},

doi = {10.1002/ejp.1809},

issn = {1532-2149},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-10-01},

journal = {Eur J Pain},

volume = {25},

number = {9},

pages = {1925--1937},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Pain assessment and pain care are influenced by the characteristics of both the patient and the caregiver. Some studies suggest that the pain of older persons and of females may be underestimated to a greater extent than the pain of younger and male individuals.nnAIMS: This study investigated the effect of age and sex on prosocial behavior and pain evaluation.nnMETHODS: 40 young (18-30 y/o; 20 women) and 40 older adults (55-82 y/o; 20 women) acted as healthcare professionals rating the pain and offering help to patients of both age groups. Trait empathy and social desirability were measured with questionnaires.nnRESULTS: Linear mixed models showed that older and male patients were offered more help and were perceived as being in more intense pain than younger and female patients.nnCONCLUSION: The characteristics of the patients seem to have a greater impact on prosocial behavior and pain assessment compared to those of the observers, which bears significant implications for the treatment of pain in clinical contexts.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}