Reward and empathy in the treating clinician: the neural correlates of successful doctor–patient interactions

The goal of this study was to determine the neural correlates of successful doctor–patient interactions. We performed an experimental neuroimaging study where medical doctors (MDs) performed a treatment task while their brain activation pattern was measured, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). MDs (25–37 years old) first performed a standardized clinical exam of a “professional patient”. Unbeknownst to the doctors, the...