Understanding the neuroscience of communicating serious news

Abstract

Poznámka redakce: Tento text je přetiskem původního článku publikovaného v časopise Intensive Care Medicine, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-026-08578-0. Grafická úprava článku a formát citací byly upraveny do standardní podoby časopisu Paliativní medicína, byly doplněny akademické tituly autorů a vynechány redakční údaje původního vydavatele (Publisher’s Note, data přijetí a publikace, nadpis „Declarations“).

Throughout their careers, physicians engage in more than 200 000 conversations about serious illness, yet communication remains one of the least formally taught clinical skills. Good communication, especially in emotionally charged situations, can mitigate stress and improve outcomes and understanding for patients and families as well as clinicians who are also exposed to stress, uncertainty, and emotions.

We present a hypothesis-generating conceptual model that integrates understanding of neurobiological structures and pathways that may be activated during and after serious news delivery with best practice recommendations for communication. The goal is to offer potential neurobiological explanations for current communication guidelines and guide future research into improving communication.