The neuroscience of compassion: a scoping review of the literature on the neuroscience of compassion and compassion-related therapies.
Irish journal of psychological medicine March 25, 2025 Harshita Kamal, Orla Mitchell, Claire O'Doherty et al. 3 citations
Compassion motivates people to relieve others' pain and can enhance psychological wellness, but constant compassionate behavior, especially among healthcare workers, may lead to burnout. Compassion-focused meditation may relieve this burnout. This scoping review, following PRISMA guidelines, examined studies on neuroplastic changes from compassion-based meditation, excluding studies with multiple meditation practices, participants with psychiatric histories (except anxiety or depression), or exclusively aging populations. The reviewed studies found neurological changes in the amygdala, anterior insula, medial prefrontal cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex, and dopamine system structures following compassion-based training. The review suggests such training could enhance well-being, resilience, and compassionate care in healthcare professionals, but more research is needed on sustained benefit and cost-effectiveness.