Is damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex associated with impaired empathy? A neuropsychological study using an empathy motivation task.
Patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) classically develop personality disturbances, emotion dysregulation, and social decision-making deficits that have been likened to psychopathic tendencies ("pseudopsychopathy"). These acquired deficits are thought to entail empathy impairments, viz., id...