Neurobiological mechanisms and treatment of empathic pain in nonsuicidal self-injury

Empathic pain is defined as the experience of vicarious pain resulting from the observation of another person's suffering, and it involves complex neurobiological pathways that parallel those involved in direct pain perception. The intricate link between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and empathic pain lies in the fact that they share certain neurobiological mechanisms, particularly in the areas of emotion regulation and pain perception, and both phenomena involve brain networks involved in pain processing, emotion regulation, and social cognition. This review examines the current understanding of these mechanisms, including cellular and molecular pathways, changes in neural networks, and factors that influence the development of empathic pain. It also explores potential therapeutic strategies to address the complex interactions between empathic pain and NSSI, focusing on psychological interventions, pharmacological approaches, and novel neurostimulation techniques.