Synchronous activation within the default mode network correlates with perceived social support

Task-dependent functional connectivity changes in response to varying levels of social support

BACKGROUND

Having social support improves one's health outcomes and self-esteem, and buffers the negative impact of stressors. Previous studies have explored the association between social support and brain activity, but evidence from task-dependent functional connectivity is still limited.

AIMS

We aimed to explore how gradually decreasing levels of social support influence task-dependent functional connectivity across several major neural networks.

METHOD

We designed a social support task and recruited 72 young adults from real-life social groups. Of the four members in each group, one healthy participant (18 participants in total) completed the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. The fMRI task included three phases with varying levels of social support: high-support phase, fair phase and low-support phase. Functional connectivity changes according to three phases were examined by generalised psychophysiological interaction analysis.

RESULTS

The results of the analysis demonstrated that participants losing expected support showed increased connectivity among salience network, default mood network and frontoparietal network nodes during the fair phase compared with the high-support phase. During the low-support phase, participants showed increased connectivity among only salience network nodes compared with the high-support phase.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that the loss of support was perceived as a threat signal and induced widespread increased functional connectivity within brain networks. The observation of significant functional connectivity changes between fair and high-support phases suggests that even a small loss of social support from close ones leads to major changes in brain function.

The neural correlates of perceived social support and its relationship to psychological well-being

Introduction

Perceived social support is considered to play a significant role in promoting individuals' health and well-being, and yet the neural correlates of perceived social support were not fully understood. An exploration of the neural correlates of individual differences in the SPS can help us to gain more comprehensive understanding about the neural correlates of perceived social support. What's more, our study will explore the relationship among perceived social support, brain regions, and psychological well-being, which may provide new insights into the neural correlates underlying the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well-being from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience.

Methods

Herein, we used the Social Provisions Scale to assess individuals' perceived social support, and magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the gray matter (GM) volume of the whole brain. What's more, we also measured psychological well-being using the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and mediation analysis was used to explore the relationship among perceived social support, brain regions, and psychological well-being.

Results

The voxel-based morphometry analysis of the whole brain revealed that perceived social support was positively correlated with GM volume of the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG). The finding indicated that a person with greater GM volume in the left MTG perceived more social support. More importantly, the left MTG GM volume observed above was also associated with psychological well-being, and the link between the two was mediated by perceived social support.

Discussion

These results revealed the importance of MTG for perceived social support and psychological well-being, and also suggested that perceived social support might explain the relationship between MTG and psychological well-being.

Social support and overeating in young women: The role of altering functional network connectivity patterns and negative emotions

Research suggests that social support has a protective effect on emotional health and emotionally induced overeating. Women are especially more sensitive to benefits from social support when facing eating problems. Although it has been demonstrated that social support can affect the neural processes of emotion regulation and reward perception, it is unclear how social support alters synergistic patterns in large-scale brain networks associated with negative emotions and overeating. We used a large sample of young women aged 17-22 years (N = 360) to examine how social support influences the synchrony of five intrinsic networks (executive control network [ECN], default mode network, salience network [SN], basal ganglia network, and precuneus network [PN]) and how these networks influence negative affect and overeating. Additionally, we explored these analyses in another sample of males (N = 136). After statistically controlling for differences in age and head movement, we observed significant associations of higher levels of social support with increased intra- and inter-network functional synchrony, particularly for ECN-centered network connectivity. Subsequent chain-mediated analyses showed that social support predicted overeating through the ECN-SN and ECN-PN network connectivity and negative emotions. However, these results were not found in men. These findings suggest that social support influences the synergistic patterns within and between intrinsic networks related to inhibitory control, emotion salience, self-referential thinking, and reward sensitivity. Furthermore, they reveal that social support and its neural markers may play a key role in young women's emotional health and eating behavior.

Attachment insecurity, heart rate variability, and perceived social support in a diverse sample of young adults

Psychological and physical factors are robustly associated with perceived social support. Drawing from the literature on attachment style in adults and psychophysiology, we examined the possibility that the interaction of attachment insecurity and resting heart rate variability (HRV) was associated with perceived social support in a diverse sample of young adults living in the U.S (N = 145, Mage = 20.45) that was majority Latino (n = 77). Analyses revealed three key findings. First, in the overall sample, attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were negatively associated with perceived social support, but in the Latino sample, only attachment avoidance was negatively associated with perceived social support. Second, HRV was not associated with perceived social support in the overall sample nor in the Latino sample. Third, attachment insecurity and HRV interacted to predict perceived social support only in the Latino sample such that, for those with lower levels of HRV, attachment anxiety was positively associated with perceived social support. This study underscores the importance of examining both psychological and physiological processes with careful consideration of ethnicity/culture in order to better understand perceived social support.

Default mode network connectivity and social dysfunction in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) negatively affects social functioning; however, its neurological underpinnings remain unclear. Altered Default Mode Network (DMN) connectivity may contribute to social dysfunction in ADHD. We investigated whether DMN's dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) alterations were associated with social dysfunction in individuals with ADHD.

Methods

Resting-state fMRI was used to examine DMN subsystems (dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dMPFC), medial temporal lobe (MTL)) and the midline core in 40 male ADHD patients (7-10 years) and 45 healthy controls (HCs). Connectivity correlations with symptoms and demographic data were assessed. Group-based analyses compared rsFC between groups with two-sample t-tests and post-hoc analyses.

Results

Social dysfunction in ADHD patients was related to reduced DMN connectivity, specifically in the MTL subsystem and the midline core. ADHD patients showed decreased dFC between parahippocampal cortex (PHC) and left superior frontal gyrus, and between ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) and right middle frontal gyrus compared to HCs (MTL subsystem). Additionally, decreased dFC between posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC), and right angular gyrus (midline core) was observed in ADHD patients relative to HCs. No abnormal connectivity was found within the dMPFC.

Conclusion

Preliminary findings suggest that DMN connectional abnormalities may contribute to social dysfunction in ADHD, providing insights into the disorder's neurobiology and pathophysiology.

Associations between Family Functioning and Maternal Behavior on Default Mode Network Connectivity in School-Age Children

Background: Most early children's experiences will occur in a family context; therefore, the quality of this environment is critical for development outcomes. Not many studies have assessed the correlations between brain functional connectivity (FC) in important areas such as the default mode network (DMN) and the quality of parent-child relationships in school-age children and early adolescence. The quality of family relationships and maternal behavior have been suggested to modulate DMN FC once they act as external regulators of children's affect and behavior. Objective: We aimed to test the associations between the quality of family environment/maternal behavior and FC within the DMN of school-age children. Method: Resting-state, functional magnetic resonance imaging data, were collected from 615 children (6-12 age range) enrolled in the Brazilian High-Risk Cohort (HRC) study. We assessed DMN intra-connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and inferior parietal lobule (IPL-bilateral) regions. The family functioning was assessed by levels of family cohesiveness and conflict and by maternal behavior styles such as maternal responsiveness, maternal stimulus to the child's autonomy, and maternal overprotection. The family environment was assessed with the Family Environment Scale (FES), and maternal behavior was assessed by the mother's self-report. Results: We found that the quality of the family environment was correlated with intra-DMN FC. The more conflicting the family environment was, the greater the FC between the mPFC-left IPL (lIPL), while a more cohesive family functioning was negatively correlated with FC between the PCC-lIPL. On the other hand, when moderated by a positive maternal behavior, cohesive family functioning was associated with increased FC in both regions of the DMN (mPFC-lIPL and PCC-lIPL). Conclusions: Our results highlight that the quality of the family environment might be associated with differences in the intrinsic DMN FC.

Social dysfunction is transdiagnostically associated with default mode network dysconnectivity in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease

OBJECTIVES

Social dysfunction is one of the most common signs of major neuropsychiatric disorders. The Default Mode Network (DMN) is crucially implicated in both psychopathology and social dysfunction, although the transdiagnostic properties of social dysfunction remains unknown. As part of the pan-European PRISM (Psychiatric Ratings using Intermediate Stratified Markers) project, we explored cross-disorder impact of social dysfunction on DMN connectivity.

METHODS

We studied DMN intrinsic functional connectivity in relation to social dysfunction by applying Independent Component Analysis and Dual Regression on resting-state fMRI data, among schizophrenia (SZ; N = 48), Alzheimer disease (AD; N = 47) patients and healthy controls (HC; N = 55). Social dysfunction was operationalised via the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale (LON).

RESULTS

Both SFS and LON were independently associated with diminished DMN connectional integrity within rostromedial prefrontal DMN subterritories (p_corrected range = 0.02-0.04). The combined effect of these indicators (Mean.SFS + LON) on diminished DMN connectivity was even more pronounced (both spatially and statistically), independent of diagnostic status, and not confounded by key clinical or sociodemographic effects, comprising large sections of rostromedial and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (p_corrected=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings pinpoint DMN connectional alterations as putative transdiagnostic endophenotypes for social dysfunction and could aid personalised care initiatives grounded in social behaviour.

Anatomy and white-matter connections of the precuneus

Purpose Advances in neuroimaging have provided an understanding of the precuneus'(PCu) involvement in functions such as visuospatial processing and cognition. While the PCu has been previously determined to be apart of a higher-order default mode network (DMN), recent studies suggest the presence of possible dissociations from this model in order to explain the diverse functions the PCu facilitates, such as in episodic memory. An improved structural model of the white-matter anatomy of the PCu can demonstrate its unique cerebral connections with adjacent regions which can provide additional clarity on its role in integrating information across higher-order cerebral networks like the DMN. Furthermore, this information can provide clinically actionable anatomic information that can support clinical decision making to improve neurologic outcomes such as during cerebral surgery. Here, we sought to derive the relationship between the precuneus and underlying major white-mater bundles by characterizing its macroscopic connectivity. Methods Structural tractography was performed on twenty healthy adult controls from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) utilizing previously demonstrated methodology. All precuneus connections were mapped in both cerebral hemispheres and inter-hemispheric differences in resultant tract volumes were compared with an unpaired, corrected Mann-Whitney U test and a laterality index (LI) was completed. Ten postmortem dissections were then performed to serve as ground truth by using a modified Klingler technique with careful preservation of relevant white matter bundles. Results The precuneus is a heterogenous cortical region with five major types of connections that were present bilaterally. (1) Short association fibers connect the gyri of the precuneus and connect the precuneus to the superior parietal lobule and the occipital cortex. (2) Four distinct parts of the cingulum bundle connect the precuneus to the frontal lobe and the temporal lobe. (3) The middle longitudinal fasciculus from the precuneus connects to the superior temporal gyrus and the dorsolateral temporal pole. (4) Parietopontine fibers travel as part of the corticopontine fibers to connect the precuneus to pontine regions. (5) An extensive commissural bundle connects the precuneus bilaterally. Conclusion We present a summary of the anatomic connections of the precuneus as part of an effort to understand the function of the precuneus and highlight key white-matter pathways to inform surgical decision-making. Our findings support recent models suggesting unique fiber connections integrating at the precuneus which may suggest finer subsystems of the DMN or unique networks, but further study is necessary to refine our model in greater quantitative detail.

Parcellation-based anatomic modeling of the default mode network

BACKGROUND

The default mode network (DMN) is an important mediator of passive states of mind. Multiple cortical areas, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and lateral parietal lobe, have been linked in this processing, though knowledge of network connectivity had limited tractographic specificity.

METHODS

Using resting-state fMRI studies related to the DMN, we generated an activation likelihood estimation (ALE). We built a tractographical model of this network based on the cortical parcellation scheme previously published under the Human Connectome Project. DSI-based fiber tractography was performed to determine the structural connections between cortical parcellations comprising the network.

RESULTS

Seventeen cortical regions were found to be part of the DMN: 10r, 31a, 31pd, 31pv, a24, d23ab, IP1, p32, POS1, POS2, RSC, PFm, PGi, PGs, s32, TPOJ3, and v23ab. These regions showed consistent interconnections between adjacent parcellations, and the cingulum was found to connect the anterior and posterior cingulate clusters within the network.

CONCLUSIONS

We present a preliminary anatomic model of the default mode network. Further studies may refine this model with the ultimate goal of clinical application.

Intrinsic network interactions explain individual differences in mentalizing ability in adolescents

Mentalizing is an important aspect of social cognition and people vary in their ability to mentalize. Despite initial evidence that mentalizing continues to develop throughout adolescence, it is unclear which neural mechanisms underlie individual variability in mentalizing ability in adolescents. Interactions within and between the default-mode network (DMN), frontoparietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular/salience network (CO/SN) have been related to inter-individual differences in cognitive processes in both adults and adolescents. Here, we investigated whether intrinsic connectivity within and between these brain networks explained inter-individual differences in affective mentalizing ability in adolescents. Resting-state brain activity was measured using functional MRI and affective mentalizing ability was defined as correct performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test performed outside the scanner. We identified the DMN, FPN and CO/SN, and within and between network connectivity values were submitted to a bootstrapping enhanced penalized multiple regression analysis to predict mentalizing in 66 young adolescents (11-14 years). We showed that stronger connectivity between the DMN and the FPN, together with lower within-network connectivity of the FPN and the CO/SN predicted better mentalizing performance. These novel findings provide insight into the normative developmental trajectory of the neural mechanisms underlying affective mentalizing in early adolescence.

Amygdala activity related to perceived social support

Perceived social support enhances well-being and prevents stress-related ill-being. A recent structural neuroimaging study reported that the amygdala volume is positively associated with perceived social support. However, it remains unknown how neural activity in this region and functional connectivity (FC) between this and other regions are related to perceived social support. To investigate these issues, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed to analyze the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF). Perceived social support was evaluated using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Lower fALFF values in the bilateral amygdalae were associated with higher MSPSS scores. Additionally, stronger FC between the left amygdala and right orbitofrontal cortex and between the left amygdala and bilateral precuneus were associated with higher MSPSS scores. The present findings suggest that reduced amygdala activity and heightened connectivity between the amygdala and other regions underlie perceived social support and its positive functions.

Default Mode Network Connectivity and Social Dysfunction in Major Depressive Disorder

Though social functioning is often hampered in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), we lack a complete and integrated understanding of the underlying neurobiology. Connectional disturbances in the brain's Default Mode Network (DMN) might be an associated factor, as they could relate to suboptimal social processing. DMN connectional integrity, however, has not been explicitly studied in relation to social dysfunctioning in MDD patients. Applying Independent Component Analysis and Dual Regression on resting-state fMRI data, we explored DMN intrinsic functional connectivity in relation to social dysfunctioning (i.e. composite of loneliness, social disability, small social network) among 74 MDD patients (66.2% female, Mean age = 36.9, SD = 11.9). Categorical analyses examined whether DMN connectivity differs between high and low social dysfunctioning MDD groups, dimensional analyses studied linear associations between social dysfunction and DMN connectivity across MDD patients. Threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) with family-wise error (FWE) correction was used for statistical thresholding and multiple comparisons correction (P < 0.05). The analyses cautiously linked greater social dysfunctioning among MDD patients to diminished DMN connectivity, specifically within the rostromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior superior frontal gyrus. These preliminary findings pinpoint DMN connectional alterations as potentially germane to social dysfunction in MDD, and may as such improve our understanding of the underlying neurobiology.

Brain activity sustaining the modulation of pain by empathetic comments

Empathetic verbal feedback from others has been shown to alleviate the intensity of experimental pain. To investigate the brain changes associated with this effect, we conducted 3T-fMRI measurements in 30 healthy subjects who received painful thermal stimuli on their left hand while overhearing empathetic, neutral or unempathetic comments, supposedly made by experimenters, via headsets. Only the empathetic comments significantly reduced pain intensity ratings. A whole-brain BOLD analysis revealed that both Empathetic and Unempathetic conditions significantly increased the activation of the right anterior insular and posterior parietal cortices to pain stimuli, while activations in the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus (PCC/Prec) were significantly stronger during Empathetic compared to Unempathetic condition. BOLD activity increased in the DLPFC in the Empathetic condition and decreased in the PCC/Prec and vmPFC in the Unempathetic condition. In the Empathetic condition only, functional connectivity increased significantly between the vmPFC and the insular cortex. These results suggest that modulation of pain perception by empathetic feedback involves a set of high-order brain regions associated with autobiographical memories and self-awareness, and relies on interactions between such supra-modal structures and key nodes of the pain system.

Neurometabolic and functional connectivity basis of prosocial behavior in early adolescence

Human prosocial behavior (PB) emerges in childhood and matures during adolescence. Previous task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have reported involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in social cognition in adolescence. However, neurometabolic and functional connectivity (FC) basis of PB in early adolescence remains unclear. Here, we measured GABA levels in the ACC and FC in a subsample (aged 10.5–13.4 years) of a large-scale population-based cohort with MR spectroscopy (MEGA-PRESS) and resting-state fMRI. PB was negatively correlated with GABA levels in the ACC (N = 221), and positively correlated with right ACC-seeded FC with the right precentral gyrus and the bilateral middle and posterior cingulate gyrus (N = 187). Furthermore, GABA concentrations and this FC were negatively correlated, and the FC mediated the association between GABA levels and PB (N = 171). Our results from a minimally biased, large-scale sample provide new insights into the neurometabolic and neurofunctional correlates of prosocial development during early adolescence.

Brain and Social Networks: Fundamental Building Blocks of Human Experience

How do brains shape social networks, and how do social ties shape the brain? Social networks are complex webs by which ideas spread among people. Brains comprise webs by which information is processed and transmitted among neural units. While brain activity and structure offer biological mechanisms for human behaviors, social networks offer external inducers or modulators of those behaviors. Together, these two axes represent fundamental contributors to human experience. Integrating foundational knowledge from social and developmental psychology and sociology on how individuals function within dyads, groups, and societies with recent advances in network neuroscience can offer new insights into both domains. Here, we use the example of how ideas and behaviors spread to illustrate the potential of multilayer network models.

Default mode functional connectivity is associated with social functioning in schizophrenia

Individuals with schizophrenia display notable deficits in social functioning. Research indicates that neural connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) is related to social cognition and social functioning in healthy and clinical populations. However, the association between DMN connectivity, social cognition, and social functioning has not been studied in schizophrenia. For the present study, the authors used resting-state neuroimaging data to evaluate connectivity between the main DMN hubs (i.e., the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC] and the posterior cingulate cortex-anterior precuneus [PPC]) in individuals with schizophrenia (n = 28) and controls (n = 32). The authors also examined whether DMN connectivity was associated with social functioning via social attainment (measured by the Specific Levels of Functioning Scale) and social competence (measured by the Social Skills Performance Assessment), and if social cognition mediates the association between DMN connectivity and these measures of social functioning. Results revealed that DMN connectivity did not differ between individuals with schizophrenia and controls. However, connectivity between the mPFC and PCC hubs was significantly associated with social competence and social attainment in individuals with schizophrenia but not in controls as reflected by a significant group-by-connectivity interaction. Social cognition did not mediate the association between DMN connectivity and social functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. The findings suggest that fronto-parietal DMN connectivity in particular may be differentially associated with social functioning in schizophrenia and controls. As a result, DMN connectivity may be used as a neuroimaging marker to monitor treatment response or as a potential target for interventions that aim to enhance social functioning in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record

Characterization of Structural Connectivity of the Default Mode Network in Dogs using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides us an insight into the micro-architecture of white-matter tracts in the brain. This method has proved promising in understanding and investigating the neuronal tracts and structural connectivity between the brain regions in primates as well as rodents. The close evolutionary relationship between canines and humans may have spawned a unique bond in regard to social cognition rendering them useful as an animal model in translational research. In this study, we acquired diffusion data from anaesthetized dogs and created a DTI-based atlas for a canine model which could be used to investigate various white matter diseases. We illustrate the application of this atlas by calculating DTI tractography based structural connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) regions of the default mode network (DMN) in dogs. White matter connectivity was investigated to provide structural basis for the functional dissociation observed between the anterior and posterior parts of DMN. A comparison of the integrity of long range structural connections (such as in the DMN) between dogs and humans is likely to provide us with new perspectives on the neural basis of the evolution of cognitive functions.

The association between perceived social support and amygdala structure

The subjective perception of social support plays a crucial role in human well-being. However, its structural neural substrates remain unknown. We hypothesized that the amygdala, specifically its laterobasal and superficial subregions, which have been suggested to serve social functions, could be associated with the level of perceived social support. To test this hypothesis, we assessed perceived social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. In addition, we measured the volume and shape of the amygdala using structural magnetic resonance imaging in 49 healthy participants. Global amygdala volume in the left hemisphere was positively associated with the perceived social support score after adjusting for total cerebral volume, sex, age, intelligence, and five-factor personality domains. The local shape of the laterobasal and superficial subregions of the left amygdala showed the same association with perceived social support. These data suggest that the social subregions of the left amygdala are associated with the implementation of perceived social support.

Abnormal degree centrality of functional hubs associated with negative coping in older Chinese adults who lost their only child

The loss of an only child is a negative life event and may potentially increase the risk of psychiatric disorders. However, the psychological consequences of the loss of an only child and the associated neural mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Degree centrality (DC), derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), was used to examine network communication in 22 older adults who lost their only child and 23 matched controls. The older adults who lost their only child exhibited an ineffective coping style. They also showed decreased distant and local DC in the precuneus and left inferior parietal lobule and decreased distant DC in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Furthermore, the decreased local and distant DC of these regions and the decreased DLPFC-precuneus connectivity strength were negatively correlated with negative coping scores in the loss group but not in the controls. Overall, the results suggested a model that the impaired neural network communication of brain hubs within the default mode network (DMN) and central executive network (CEN) were associated with a negative coping style in older adults who lost their only child. The decreased connectivity of the hubs can be identified as a neural risk factor that is related to future psychopathology.