Eleventh International School on Mind, Brain and Education

2016 September 7–13

Dynamical Coupling:
From Brain-to-Brain to Social Interaction

Directors of the School: Antonio M. Battro and Kurt W. Fischer
Directors of the Course: Uri Hasson and Thalia Wheatley


Abstract: Christian Keysers
School of Education. Tel Aviv University, Israel

Brain to Brain and Rat to Rat – Understanding the Neural Basis of Empathy
Humans are exquisitely good at perceiving the actions, sensations and emotions of others. Understanding the neural basis of these capacities requires the ability to investigate information transfer across individuals in complex, ecologically valid situations. In this talk, I will examine methods that directly compare the brain activity or behavior of two individuals (human or animals) to unravel the neural substrates of these abilities. In humans, I will explore how intersubject correlations of brain activity reveal the capacity of motor structures to engage in predictive coding to process the actions of others. In rodents, I will explore how the emotions of one individual affect those of another by exploring granger causality across animals.