社會場景可能會調節同理心。曾經有兩個研究指出，醫生在面對醫療場景，進行醫療行為時，會調控自己的疼痛同理心。然而， 社會場景(例如醫院相對於家裡)如何影響醫療人員的同理心仍然有待進一步研究。本研究的目的是了解社會場景如何調控護理人員的同理心。總共有 100 名護理人員參加了本研究，他們的年齡從 20 到 55 歲不等，並且有著不同的工作經驗。當進行功能性核磁掃描時，一邊讓他們觀看一些與疼痛有關或非疼痛的照片，而這些照片皆由一張醫院或家裡的場景所引導。右側前腦島(anterior insular cortex, AIC)在看見疼痛的照片時有顯著的活化，相較於觀看與疼痛無關的照片。除此之外，相較於家中的場景，右顳頂交界區(temporo-parietal junction, TPJ)在醫院的場景之下有顯著的活化。在右側中扣帶迴前區(anterior mid-cingulate cortex, aMCC)則觀察到接近顯著的交互作用。這可能是第一個利用功能性核磁造影，探討社會場景對於醫療人員同理心調控的研究。實驗的結果顯示，醫療人員的同理心的確會受到不同場景的調節。Empathy may be affected by social contexts. Two previous studies indicated that physicians showed regulations of empathy for pain while facing clinical practice. However, how social contexts (hospital vs. home) affect empathy in the health providers remains unclear. The aim of the current study is to investigate how social contexts modulate pain empathy in nurses. We recruited 100 females aged from 20 to 55 years old, with various working experience as nurses. While fMRI scanning, several blocks consist of five pain/nopain stimuli priming by a home or hospital context were be presented. A two-way ANOVA: pain/nopain by home/hospital was conducted. Across two contexts, activation of right anterior insula was significantly larger in pain than nopain conditions. Across pain/nopain conditions, the activation of right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) was significantly larger in hospital than at home. There was a marginal interaction in right anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC). Current study may be the first one in which elucidated how contexts modulate the empathy of the health providers. Our results generally indicated there are some modulations in empathy when health providers are in different contexts.
