The Determination of Brain Wave Power Value of Pain Perception and Empathy Towards The Loved-One Using the Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Pain is influenced by various psychological factors, particularly emotional states such as love, which can affect levels of empathy. However, there is limited research exploring the neurological connections between these aspects. This study aims to assess the dominant brainwave power values associated with pain perception and empathy toward a loved one by identifying the brain activation areas involved during imagined pain across three categories: a stranger, oneself, and a loved one. The research design incorporated both qualitative and quantitative approaches, divided into 4 phases, (1) stimulation selection, (2) behavioral assessment, (3) EEG brain scanning, and (4) data analysis. Prior to EEG scanning, 35 pain images were chosen and categorized into “mild”, “moderate” and “severe” by over 300 respondents via google form evaluation. The selected images represented each category were used for further EEG experiment. EEG recordings were then taken from 30 healthy (males and females) youths, aged of 18 to 25 years old, while they were exposed to pain-related visual stimuli. Stimuli were given by block design of EEG paradigm, arranged in pseudorandom order by alternating pain images and rest in sequence of 5-10 seconds of each stimulus. An electroencephalography (EEG) device used is the Emotiv Insight which function to detect brain signals, focusing on the frontal, temporal, and midbrain regions. The data were collected in two separate days and analyzed using Emotiv Launcher and Brain Vision Analyzer version 2.2. The results showed that imagining pain activated the prefrontal regions of the brain, specifically the medial frontal gyrus (MFG), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), orbital gyrus, rectal gyrus, paracentral lobule, and subcallosal gyrus. Study also revealed that the theta wave band (4-8 Hz) emerged as the most dominant brainwave associated with the pain response when individual imagining either stranger, oneself or loved-one. Based on psychological case analysis, the brain activation patterns during visual-pain processing were also influenced by individual personality traits and the strength of relationships. Significant correlation in the pain ratings was observed for imagining loved-one by 0.618 (p value = 0.006). These findings contribute to a better understanding of empathy and pain perception mechanisms, particularly in the context of imagining a loved one in pain and may support future advancements in psychological and neuroscientific studies.