The Neural Processing of Death-Related Stimuli : A Meta-Analysis

Sammanfattning

While exposure to death-related stimuli can have a range of immediate and enduring adverse effects, active death-reflection has been linked to enhanced life satisfaction, gratitude, and prosocial behavior. The underlying neural mechanisms of these complex and seemingly contradictory observations remain poorly understood and have not yet been reviewed systematically in the published literature. This thesis presents a series of activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses, synthesizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data on the neural processing of death-related stimuli. A systematic literature search identified 12 eligible studies in which participants (N = 307) were presented with death-related and control stimuli during fMRI scanning.Three activation likelihood (ALE) meta-analyses were conducted: death > control, control > death, and an omnibus analysis pooling both contrast directions. The omnibus analysis revealed two clusters: one in the left precentral gyrus and one in the right angular gyrus. The death > control analysis replicated the omnibus clusters and identified an additional one in the left angular gyrus. The control > death contrast found a single cluster in the left claustrum and insula. These tentative findings offer initial insight into the neural processing of mortality and highlight the need for further research on this topic. Gaining insight into the neural mechanisms underlying death-related processing is necessary to better understand the impact of different kinds of death exposure. Deepening our understanding of the nature of these processes and how they evolve over time may have significant implications for the relationship individuals have with death, life, and each other.