The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

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ArticleTitle	Reading others' emotional states
Language	J
AuthorList	Katsuki Nakamura
Affiliation	Department of Animal Models for Human Disease, National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP PRESTO, JST, PRI, Kyoto University
Publication	Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 19 (3), 162-171, 2003
Received
Accepted
Abstract	In social interaction, comprehension of others' emotional states is essential to promote mutual understanding and avoid unnecessary conflict. We can understand or ﾔread' others' emotional states from facial expression, bodily gestures, and prosody of voice via non-verbal, emotional communication. Previous neuropsychological studies have shown that patients with damage to the right hemisphere have difficulty comprehending and producing such emotional signals. However, normal brain functions in non-verbal, emotional communication remain uncelar. We used functional brain imaging techniques (PET and fMRI) to show that the inferior frontal cortex and the superior temporal sulcus in the right hemisphere are involved in the assessment of emotional states based on facial expression and bodily gestures. This suggests that these brain areas form a common neural system for reading others' emotional states. The equivalent areas in the left hemisphere correspond to well-known language areas (Broca and Wernicke's areas). Our data suggest that neural systems for verbal and nonverbal communication are analogous.
Keywords	communication, verbal, nonverbal, inferior frontal cortex, superior temporal sulcus