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Veerareddy A, Fang H, Safari N, Xu P, Krueger F. Social network size, empathy, and white matter: A diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024:10.3758/s13415-024-01225-5. [PMID: 39354289 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01225-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Social networks are fundamental for social interactions, with the social brain hypothesis positing that the size of the neocortex evolved to meet social demands. However, the role of fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter (WM) tracts relevant to mentalizing, empathy, and social networks remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationships between FA in brain regions associated with social cognition (superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), cingulum (CING), uncinate fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus), social network characteristics (diversity, size, complexity), and empathy (cognitive, affective). We employed diffusion tensor imaging, tract-based spatial statistics, and mediation analyses to examine these associations. Our findings revealed that increased social network size was positively correlated with FA in the left SLF. Further, our mediation analysis showed that lower FA in left CING was associated with increased social network size, mediated by cognitive empathy. In summary, our findings suggest that WM tracts involved in social cognition play distinct roles in social network size and empathy, potentially implicating affective brain regions. In conclusion, our findings offer new perspectives on the cognitive mechanisms involved in understanding others' mental states and experiencing empathy within supportive social networks, with potential implications for understanding individual differences in social behavior and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Huihua Fang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nooshin Safari
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.
- Great Bay Neuroscience and Technology Research Institute (Hong Kong), Hong Kong, Kwun Tong, China.
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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Lu H, Song Y, Wang X, Liu J. The neural correlates of perceived social support and its relationship to psychological well-being. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1295668. [PMID: 38259632 PMCID: PMC10800560 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1295668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhua Lu
- School of Marxism, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiying Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Winter A, Gruber M, Thiel K, Flinkenflügel K, Meinert S, Goltermann J, Winter NR, Borgers T, Stein F, Jansen A, Brosch K, Wroblewski A, Thomas-Odenthal F, Usemann P, Straube B, Alexander N, Jamalabadi H, Nenadić I, Bonnekoh LM, Dohm K, Leehr EJ, Opel N, Grotegerd D, Hahn T, van den Heuvel MP, Kircher T, Repple J, Dannlowski U. Shared and distinct structural brain networks related to childhood maltreatment and social support: connectome-based predictive modeling. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4613-4621. [PMID: 37714950 PMCID: PMC10914611 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02252-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with changes in structural brain connectivity even in the absence of mental illness. Social support, an important protective factor in the presence of childhood maltreatment, has been positively linked to white matter integrity. However, the shared effects of current social support and CM and their association with structural connectivity remain to be investigated. They might shed new light on the neurobiological basis of the protective mechanism of social support. Using connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM), we analyzed structural connectomes of N = 904 healthy adults derived from diffusion-weighted imaging. CPM predicts phenotypes from structural connectivity through a cross-validation scheme. Distinct and shared networks of white matter tracts predicting childhood trauma questionnaire scores and the social support questionnaire were identified. Additional analyses were applied to assess the stability of the results. CM and social support were predicted significantly from structural connectome data (all rs ≥ 0.119, all ps ≤ 0.016). Edges predicting CM and social support were inversely correlated, i.e., positively correlated with CM and negatively with social support, and vice versa, with a focus on frontal and temporal regions including the insula and superior temporal lobe. CPM reveals the predictive value of the structural connectome for CM and current social support. Both constructs are inversely associated with connectivity strength in several brain tracts. While this underlines the interconnectedness of these experiences, it suggests social support acts as a protective factor following adverse childhood experiences, compensating for brain network alterations. Future longitudinal studies should focus on putative moderating mechanisms buffering these adverse experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Marius Gruber
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Katharina Thiel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Kira Flinkenflügel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Janik Goltermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils R Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tiana Borgers
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Core-Facility Brainimaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Adrian Wroblewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Florian Thomas-Odenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Paula Usemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nina Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Hamidreza Jamalabadi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Linda M Bonnekoh
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils Opel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Connectome Lab, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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Flinkenflügel K, Meinert S, Thiel K, Winter A, Goltermann J, Strathausen L, Brosch K, Stein F, Thomas-Odenthal F, Evermann U, Wroblewski A, Usemann P, Pfarr JK, Grotegerd D, Hahn T, Leehr EJ, Dohm K, Bauer J, Jamalabadi H, Straube B, Alexander N, Jansen A, Nenadić I, Krug A, Kircher T, Dannlowski U. Negative Stressful Life Events and Social Support Are Associated With White Matter Integrity in Depressed Patients and Healthy Control Participants: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:650-660. [PMID: 37028741 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative stressful life events and deprivation of social support play critical roles in the development and maintenance of major depressive disorder (MDD). The present study aimed to investigate in a large sample of patients with MDD and healthy control participants (HCs) whether these effects are also reflected in white matter (WM) integrity. METHODS In this diffusion tensor imaging study, 793 patients with MDD and 793 age- and sex-matched HCs were drawn from the Marburg-Münster Affective Disorders Cohort Study (MACS) and completed the Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ) and Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ). Generalized linear models were performed to test voxelwise associations between fractional anisotropy (FA) and diagnosis (analysis 1), LEQ (analysis 2), and SSQ (analysis 3). We examined whether SSQ interacts with LEQ on FA or is independently associated with improved WM integrity (analysis 4). RESULTS Patients with MDD showed lower FA in several frontotemporal association fibers compared with HCs (pTFCE-FWE = .028). Across both groups, LEQ correlated negatively with FA in widely distributed WM tracts (pTFCE-FWE = .023), while SSQ correlated positively with FA in the corpus callosum (pTFCE-FWE = .043). Modeling the combined association of both variables on FA revealed significant-and antagonistic-main effects of LEQ (pTFCE-FWE = .031) and SSQ (pTFCE-FWE = .037), but no interaction of SSQ × LEQ. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that negative stressful life events and social support are both related to WM integrity in opposing directions. The associations did not differ between patients with MDD and HCs, suggesting more general, rather than depression-specific, mechanisms. Furthermore, social support appears to contribute to improved WM integrity independent of stressful life events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Flinkenflügel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Thiel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Alexandra Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Janik Goltermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lea Strathausen
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Thomas-Odenthal
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrika Evermann
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Adrian Wroblewski
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Paula Usemann
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia-Katharina Pfarr
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jochen Bauer
- Department of Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hamidreza Jamalabadi
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nina Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Core-Facility Brainimaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Axel Krug
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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Costanzo A, van der Velpen IF, Ikram MA, Vernooij-Dassen MJ, Niessen WJ, Vernooij MW, Kas MJ. Social Health Is Associated With Tract-Specific Brain White Matter Microstructure in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:1003-1011. [PMID: 37881589 PMCID: PMC10593878 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Poor social health has been linked to a risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging studies have shown associations between social health and global white matter microstructural integrity. We aimed to identify which white matter tracts are involved in these associations. Methods Social health markers (loneliness, perceived social support, and partnership status) and white matter microstructural integrity of 15 white matter tracts (identified with probabilistic tractography after diffusion magnetic resonance imaging) were collected for 3352 participants (mean age 58.4 years, 54.9% female) from 2002 to 2008 in the Rotterdam Study. Cross-sectional associations were studied using multivariable linear regression. Results Loneliness was associated with higher mean diffusivity (MD) in the superior thalamic radiation and the parahippocampal part of the cingulum (standardized mean difference for both tracts: 0.21, 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.34). Better perceived social support was associated with lower MD in the forceps minor (standardized mean difference per point increase in social support: -0.06, 95% CI, -0.09 to -0.03), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. In male participants, better perceived social support was associated with lower MD in the forceps minor, and not having a partner was associated with lower fractional anisotropy in the forceps minor. Loneliness was associated with higher MD in the superior thalamic radiation in female participants only. Conclusions Social health was associated with tract-specific white matter microstructure. Loneliness was associated with lower integrity of limbic and sensorimotor tracts, whereas better perceived social support was associated with higher integrity of association and commissural tracts, indicating that social health domains involve distinct neural pathways of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Costanzo
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Isabelle F. van der Velpen
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M. Arfan Ikram
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Wiro J. Niessen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Meike W. Vernooij
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martien J. Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Lu H, Li X, Wang Y, Song Y, Liu J. Hippocampus links perceived social support with self-esteem. Soc Neurosci 2023; 18:132-141. [PMID: 37200111 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2216471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Self-esteem is an important psychological resource with adaptive values, and numerous investigations have revealed that self-esteem is influenced by perceived social support. However, the potential neural basis linking perceived social support with self-esteem remains unclear. Therefore, we used voxel-based morphometry to explore whether the hippocampus and amygdala function as the neuroanatomical basis linking perceived social support with self-esteem in a cohort of 243 young healthy adults (128 women; mean age 22.64 years, standard deviation 1.01 years). The Social Provisions Scale and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale were used for the survey. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the gray matter volume of the hippocampus and amygdala. Correlation analysis revealed that those who perceived more social support had higher self-esteem. Notably, mediation analysis showed that hippocampal gray matter volume linked perceived social support with self-esteem. Our study suggests that the hippocampus plays a primary, but not exclusive, role in linking perceived social support with self-esteem, which provides a novel explanation for how perceived social support affects self-esteem from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhua Lu
- School of Marxism, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, China
| | - Xueting Li
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yinan Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiying Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Psychology & Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Duffner LA, DeJong NR, Jansen JFA, Backes WH, de Vugt M, Deckers K, Köhler S. Associations between social health factors, cognitive activity and neurostructural markers for brain health - A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 89:101986. [PMID: 37356551 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Social health factors (e.g., social activities or social support) and cognitive activity engagement have been associated with dementia risk, but their neural substrates have not been well established. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the available evidence regarding the association between these factors and cerebral macro- and micro-structure. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in various databases, following predefined criteria. Heterogeneity, risk of publication bias and overall certainty of evidence were assessed using standardized scales and, whenever appropriate, random effects meta-analysis was conducted. Of 6715 identified articles, 43 were included. Overall, consistency of findings was low and methodological heterogeneity high for all outcomes. However, in some studies cognitive and social activities were positively associated with total brain, global and cortical grey matter and hippocampal volume as well as white matter microstructural integrity. Furthermore, structural social network characteristics (e.g., social network size) were associated with regional grey matter volumes, while functional social network characteristics (e.g., social support) were additionally associated with total brain volume. Meta-analyses revealed small but significant partial correlations between cognitive and social activities and hippocampal (three studies; n = 892; rz =0.07) and white matter hyperintensity volume (three studies; n = 2934; rz =-0.04). More prospective studies are needed to assess temporal associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas A Duffner
- Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Nathan R DeJong
- Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jacobus F A Jansen
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Walter H Backes
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolein de Vugt
- Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Kay Deckers
- Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Köhler
- Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
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8
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Lammer L, Beyer F, Luppa M, Sanders C, Baber R, Engel C, Wirkner K, Loffler M, Riedel-Heller SG, Villringer A, Witte AV. Impact of social isolation on grey matter structure and cognitive functions: A population-based longitudinal neuroimaging study. eLife 2023; 12:e83660. [PMID: 37337666 PMCID: PMC10281670 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social isolation has been suggested to increase the risk to develop cognitive decline. However, our knowledge on causality and neurobiological underpinnings is still limited. Methods In this preregistered analysis, we tested the impact of social isolation on central features of brain and cognitive ageing using a longitudinal population-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. We assayed 1992 cognitively healthy participants (50-82years old, 921women) at baseline and 1409 participants after~6y follow-up. Results We found baseline social isolation and change in social isolation to be associated with smaller volumes of the hippocampus and clusters of reduced cortical thickness. Furthermore, poorer cognitive functions (memory, processing speed, executive functions) were linked to greater social isolation, too. Conclusions Combining advanced neuroimaging outcomes with prevalent lifestyle characteristics from a well-characterized population of middle- to older aged adults, we provide evidence that social isolation contributes to human brain atrophy and cognitive decline. Within-subject effects of social isolation were similar to between-subject effects, indicating an opportunity to reduce dementia risk by promoting social networks. Funding European Union, European Regional Development Fund, Free State of Saxony, LIFE-Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, German Research Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurenz Lammer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Frauke Beyer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
- CRC Obesity Mechanisms, Subproject A1, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Melanie Luppa
- Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Faculty of MedicineLeipzigGermany
| | - Christian Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical CentreLeipzigGermany
- Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Ronny Baber
- Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Christoph Engel
- Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Kerstin Wirkner
- Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Markus Loffler
- Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Steffi G Riedel-Heller
- Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Faculty of MedicineLeipzigGermany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University of BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - A Veronica Witte
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical CenterLeipzigGermany
- CRC Obesity Mechanisms, Subproject A1, University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
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Peckham H. Introducing the Neuroplastic Narrative: a non-pathologizing biological foundation for trauma-informed and adverse childhood experience aware approaches. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1103718. [PMID: 37283710 PMCID: PMC10239852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1103718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most people accessing mental health services have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and/or histories of complex trauma. In recognition of this, there are calls to move away from medical model approaches and move toward trauma-informed approaches which privilege the impact of life experience over underlying pathology in the etiology of emotional and psychological suffering. Trauma-informed approaches lack a biological narrative linking trauma and adversity to later suffering. In its absence, this suffering is diagnosed and treated as a mental illness. This study articulates the Neuroplastic Narrative, a neuroecological theory that fills this gap, conceptualizing emotional and psychological suffering as the cost of surviving and adapting to the impinging environments of trauma and adversity. The Neuroplastic Narrative privileges lived experience and recognizes that our experiences become embedded in our biology through evolved mechanisms that ultimately act to preserve survival in the service of reproduction. Neuroplasticity refers to the capacity of neural systems to adapt and change. Our many evolved neuroplastic mechanisms including epigenetics, neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and white matter plasticity allow us to learn from, and adapt to, past experiences. This learning and adaption in turn allows us to better anticipate and physiologically prepare for future experiences that (nature assumes) are likely to occur, based on past experiences. However, neuroplastic mechanisms cannot discriminate between experiences; they function to embed experience regardless of the quality of that experience, generating vicious or virtuous cycles of psychobiological anticipation, to help us survive or thrive in futures that resemble our privileged or traumatic pasts. The etiology of suffering that arises from this process is not a pathology (a healthy brain is a brain that can adapt to experience) but is the evolutionary cost of surviving traumatizing environments. Misidentifying this suffering as a pathology and responding with diagnosis and medication is not trauma-informed and may cause iatrogenic harm, in part through perpetuating stigma and exacerbating the shame which attends complex trauma and ACEs. As an alternative, this study introduces the Neuroplastic Narrative, which is situated within an evolutionary framework. The Neuroplastic Narrative complements both Life History and Attachment Theory and provides a non-pathologizing, biological foundation for trauma-informed and Adverse Childhood Experience aware approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Peckham
- Centre for Mental Health Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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10
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Lee S, Ng YT, Charles ST, Almeida DM, Fingerman KL. Who Has Active Lifestyles? Sociodemographic and Personality Correlates of Activity Diversity in Two Samples of Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:659-669. [PMID: 36512323 PMCID: PMC10066737 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Activity diversity-an index of active lifestyles that captures variety (number) and evenness (consistency) in activity engagement-is known to support health in adulthood. However, less is known who has higher or lower activity diversity, information that helps identify individuals who may be at greater risk for poor health. This article examined sociodemographic characteristics and Big Five personality traits that may be associated with activity diversity. METHODS We used 2 independent project samples (nsample1 = 2,699; nsample2 = 301). Sample 1 included U.S. national adults in a wide age range (25-84). Sample 2 included U.S. community-dwelling older adults (age = 65-89). Each study asked about different types of activity engagement using surveys. The activity diversity index was calculated in each sample, using Shannon's entropy method. RESULTS In Sample 1, older adults, women, non-Hispanic White individuals, married/partnered individuals, and those with higher education and fewer functional limitations had higher activity diversity. Additionally, higher conscientiousness, higher extraversion, and lower neuroticism were each associated with higher activity diversity after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Extraversion and neuroticism remained significant in the younger group (age < 65) of Sample 1, but only extraversion was a significant factor associated with activity diversity in the older group (age ≥ 65). The results in the older group were generally replicated in Sample 2, such that higher extraversion in older adults was consistently associated with higher activity diversity independent of the strong correlates of sex, education, and functional limitations. DISCUSSION Findings were discussed in terms of age-specific associations between sociodemographic and personality characteristics and activity diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soomi Lee
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Yee To Ng
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Susan T Charles
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - David M Almeida
- Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Karen L Fingerman
- Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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11
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Dennison JB, Tepfer LJ, Smith DV. Tensorial independent component analysis reveals social and reward networks associated with major depressive disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:2905-2920. [PMID: 36880638 PMCID: PMC10089091 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with changes in functional brain connectivity. Yet, typical analyses of functional connectivity, such as spatial independent components analysis (ICA) for resting-state data, often ignore sources of between-subject variability, which may be crucial for identifying functional connectivity patterns associated with MDD. Typically, methods like spatial ICA will identify a single component to represent a network like the default mode network (DMN), even if groups within the data show differential DMN coactivation. To address this gap, this project applies a tensorial extension of ICA (tensorial ICA)-which explicitly incorporates between-subject variability-to identify functionally connected networks using functional MRI data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). Data from the HCP included individuals with a diagnosis of MDD, a family history of MDD, and healthy controls performing a gambling and social cognition task. Based on evidence associating MDD with blunted neural activation to rewards and social stimuli, we predicted that tensorial ICA would identify networks associated with reduced spatiotemporal coherence and blunted social and reward-based network activity in MDD. Across both tasks, tensorial ICA identified three networks showing decreased coherence in MDD. All three networks included ventromedial prefrontal cortex, striatum, and cerebellum and showed different activation across the conditions of their respective tasks. However, MDD was only associated with differences in task-based activation in one network from the social task. Additionally, these results suggest that tensorial ICA could be a valuable tool for understanding clinical differences in relation to network activation and connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff B Dennison
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lindsey J Tepfer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - David V Smith
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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12
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Lanooij SD, Eisel ULM, Drinkenburg WHIM, van der Zee EA, Kas MJH. Influencing cognitive performance via social interactions: a novel therapeutic approach for brain disorders based on neuroanatomical mapping? Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:28-33. [PMID: 35858991 PMCID: PMC9812764 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01698-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Many psychiatric and neurological disorders present deficits in both the social and cognitive domain. In this perspectives article, we provide an overview and the potential of the existence of an extensive neurobiological substrate underlying the close relationship between these two domains. By mapping the rodent brain regions involved in the social and/or cognitive domain, we show that the vast majority of brain regions involved in the cognitive domain are also involved in the social domain. The identified neuroanatomical overlap has an evolutionary basis, as complex social behavior requires cognitive skills, and aligns with the reported functional interactions of processes underlying cognitive and social performance. Based on the neuroanatomical mapping, recent (pre-)clinical findings, and the evolutionary perspective, we emphasize that the social domain requires more focus as an important treatment target and/or biomarker, especially considering the presently limited treatment strategies for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne D. Lanooij
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L. M. Eisel
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wilhelmus H. I. M. Drinkenburg
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands ,grid.419619.20000 0004 0623 0341Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research & Development, a Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Eddy A. van der Zee
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien J. H. Kas
- grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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13
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KILIC O, YALÇINAY -İNAN M, BİLİR E, PASİN O, KUŞÇU K. Sosyal ağ çeşitliliği ve sosyal desteğin sağlık çalışanlarının gelişimine etkisi. ACTA MEDICA ALANYA 2022. [DOI: 10.30565/medalanya.1073643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The well-being of healthcare workers is a critical indicator in the provision of high-quality care. Although researchers have stressed the importance of social interactions and social support, scarce data exist about their effects on healthcare workers’ well-being. In this study, we aim to advance the research on the relationships between social network diversity (SND), social support and thriving.
Methods: In a cross-sectional design, an anonymous online link was shared among healthcare workers in a university hospital. The survey included questions on demographics, medical diseases, as well as items from the SND index, the multidimensional perceived social support scale, and the brief and comprehensive inventories of thriving scales.
Results: A total of 103 individuals participated in the study (mean age ± standard deviation = 33±7.2; male/female = 33/70). Men and women did not differ in SND, perceived social support, or thriving scores. Healthcare workers older than 38 years exhibited higher scores in belonging (p=0.032), skills (p=0.006), self-worth (p=0.048), meaning and purpose (p
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge KILIC
- Bezmialem Vakif University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
| | | | - Esra BİLİR
- Department of Global Health, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Koç University
| | - Ozge PASİN
- Department of Biostatistics, Bezmialem Vakif University Faculty of Medicine
| | - Kemal KUŞÇU
- Department of Psychiatry, Koç University School of Medicine
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14
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Affective Neuroscience of Loneliness: Potential Mechanisms underlying the Association between Perceived Social Isolation, Health, and Well-Being. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND BRAIN SCIENCE 2022; 7:e220011. [PMID: 36778655 PMCID: PMC9910279 DOI: 10.20900/jpbs.20220011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Loneliness, or the subjective feeling of social isolation, is an important social determinant of health. Loneliness is associated with poor physical health, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and dementia, faster cognitive decline, and increased risk of mortality, as well as disruptions in mental health, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Theoretical accounts suggest loneliness is a complex cognitive and emotional state characterized by increased levels of inflammation and affective disruptions. This review examines affective neuroscience research on social isolation in animals and loneliness in humans to better understand the relationship between perceptions of social isolation and the brain. Loneliness associated increases in inflammation and neural changes consistent with increased sensitivity to social threat and disrupted emotion regulation suggest interventions targeting maladaptive social cognitions may be especially effective. Work in animal models suggests the neural changes associated with social isolation may be reversible. Therefore, ameliorating loneliness may be an actionable social determinant of health target. However, more research is needed to understand how loneliness impacts healthy aging, explore the role of inflammation as a potential mechanism in humans, and determine the best time to deliver interventions to improve physical health, mental health, and well-being across a diverse array of populations.
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15
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Peng S, Roth AR, Perry BL. A latent variable approach to measuring bridging social capital and examining its association to older adults' cognitive health. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:684-694. [PMID: 34727017 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.2001368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Access to cognitive stimulation through social interactions is a key mechanism used to explain the association between personal networks, cognitive health, and brain structure in older adults. However, little research has assessed how best to operationalize access to novel or diverse social stimuli using social network measures, many of which were designed to study information diffusion within large whole networks (e.g., structural holes and bridging social capital). Using data from 277 adults in the Social Networks and Alzheimer Disease (SNAD) study, we aimed to evaluate such measures for use in research on cognitive aging using personal social networks. We found a positive association between individual measures of structural holes and cognitive health, but not with brain structure. Further, we extracted a latent measure of bridging social capital using multiple individual measures (i.e., structural holes, network diversity, weak ties, and network size) and found it was significantly associated with cognitive health and brain structure, supporting the utility of this concept and related measures in the study of cognitive aging. Finally, individual measures may underestimate the effects of multidimensional bridging social capital on cognitive health and brain structure compared to a latent measure that combines them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyun Peng
- Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Adam R Roth
- Department of Sociology & Network Science Institute, Indiana University
| | - Brea L Perry
- Department of Sociology & Network Science Institute, Indiana University
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16
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Lee S, Urban-Wojcik EJ, Charles ST, Almeida DM. Rich and Balanced Experiences of Daily Emotions are Associated with Activity Diversity Across Adulthood. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 77:710-720. [PMID: 34343286 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Studies demonstrate the association between diverse emotions and health. However, we know little about how these emotions are related to activities in daily life. This study examined whether the diversity of daily activities ("activity diversity") is associated with the diversity of both positive and negative daily emotions ("emodiversity") in adulthood. We also examined if these associations differed by age. METHODS Two separate samples of participants from the Midlife in the United States Study II (M2: 2004-2009, n=2,012, Mage=56yrs) and Refresher (MR: 2012-2016, n=779, Mage=47yrs) provided activity and emotion data for eight consecutive days. Using Shannon's entropy, we constructed activity diversity and emodiversity (positive, negative) scores. Analyses adjusted for sociodemographic and health characteristics, total activity time, mean positive/negative emotions, and number of days with positive/negative emotion data. RESULTS Greater activity diversity was associated with greater positive emodiversity and greater negative emodiversity in both samples. In the M2 sample, the association between activity diversity and positive emodiversity was stronger among relatively younger adults, such the positive association among those aged 33-44 years was greater than that observed among those aged 68-84 years. Results held after adjusting for time spent in each of the activities or when using different emodiversity metrics (Gini or Simpson coefficients). DISCUSSION Broad and even participation of daily activities may provide more opportunities to experience rich and balanced emotions. Findings suggest that the association between activity diversity and emodiversity exists across adulthood, underscoring the value of including information about daily activities when examining emotional experiences across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soomi Lee
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa
| | | | - Susan T Charles
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine
| | - David M Almeida
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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17
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Lee S, Charles ST, Almeida DM. Change Is Good for the Brain: Activity Diversity and Cognitive Functioning Across Adulthood. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:1036-1048. [PMID: 32025733 PMCID: PMC8200355 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Participating in a variety of daily activities (i.e., activity diversity) requires people to adjust to a variety of situations and engage in a greater diversity of behaviors. These experiences may, in turn, enhance cognitive functioning. This study examined associations between activity diversity and cognitive functioning across adulthood. METHOD Activity diversity was defined as the breadth and evenness of participation in seven common daily activity domains (e.g., paid work, time with children, leisure, physical activities, volunteering). Participants from the National Survey of Daily Experiences (NSDE: N = 732, Mage = 56) provided activity data during eight consecutive days at Wave 1 (W1) and Wave 2 (W2) 10 years apart. They also provided cognitive data at W2. RESULTS Greater activity diversity at W2 was associated with higher overall cognitive functioning and higher executive functioning at W2. Individuals who increased activity diversity from W1 to W2 also exhibited higher scores in overall cognitive functioning and executive functioning at W2. Overall cognitive functioning, executive functioning, and episodic memory were better in those who had higher activity diversity at both waves, or increased activity diversity from W1 to W2, compared to those who had lower activity diversity or decreased activity diversity over time. DISCUSSION Activity diversity is important for cognitive health in adulthood. Future work can study the directionality between activity diversity and cognitive functioning and underlying social and neurological mechanisms for these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soomi Lee
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa
| | - Susan T Charles
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine
| | - David M Almeida
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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18
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Youm Y, Kim J, Kwak S, Chey J. Neural and social correlates of attitudinal brokerage: using the complete social networks of two entire villages. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202866. [PMID: 33563127 PMCID: PMC7893238 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To avoid polarization and maintain small-worldness in society, people who act as attitudinal brokers are critical. These people maintain social ties with people who have dissimilar and even incompatible attitudes. Based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (n = 139) and the complete social networks from two Korean villages (n = 1508), we investigated the individual-level neural capacity and social-level structural opportunity for attitudinal brokerage regarding gender role attitudes. First, using a connectome-based predictive model, we successfully identified the brain functional connectivity that predicts attitudinal diversity of respondents' social network members. Brain regions that contributed most to the prediction included mentalizing regions known to be recruited in reading and understanding others’ belief states. This result was corroborated by leave-one-out cross-validation, fivefold cross-validation and external validation where the brain connectivity identified in one village was used to predict the attitudinal diversity in another independent village. Second, the association between functional connectivity and attitudinal diversity of social network members was contingent on a specific position in a social network, namely, the structural brokerage position where people have ties with two people who are not otherwise connected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoosik Youm
- Department of Sociology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsol Kim
- Department of Sociology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seyul Kwak
- Seoul National University Seoul Metropolitan Government Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeanyung Chey
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Olson EA, Pizzagalli DA, Rosso IM. Social Anhedonia is Associated with Low Social Network Diversity in Trauma-Exposed Adults. J Trauma Stress 2021; 34:241-247. [PMID: 32816343 PMCID: PMC7903974 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Social anhedonia has been proposed to contribute to social isolation in several psychiatric disorders, but it has not been examined in relation to deficits in social connection that also characterize posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A growing body of evidence emphasizes the health importance of structural features of social networks, including their size and complexity. The current study examined the association between social anhedonia and social network features in a sample of trauma-exposed participants with and without PTSD as well as in non-trauma-exposed controls. Participants (N = 101; n = 37 healthy controls, n = 23 trauma-exposed without PTSD; n = 41 lifetime PTSD) completed self-report measures of social anhedonia (Revised Social Anhedonia Scale) and structural social network features, including social network size, diversity, and the number of embedded networks (Social Network Index). Relative to healthy controls, participants with PTSD reported significantly lower social network sizes and fewer embedded networks. In the combined trauma-exposed sample, higher ratings of social anhedonia were associated with lower social network diversity, r(62) = -.43, p < .001, an effect that remained statistically significant after controlling for PTSD and depression symptom severity. These results suggest that elevated social anhedonia in trauma-exposed individuals may contribute to disruptions in social network structure consistent with social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Olson
- McLean Hospital Belmont Massachusetts USA
- Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Diego A. Pizzagalli
- McLean Hospital Belmont Massachusetts USA
- Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Isabelle M. Rosso
- McLean Hospital Belmont Massachusetts USA
- Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USA
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Pachucki MC, Leal DF. Is having an educationally diverse social network good for health? NETWORK SCIENCE (CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS) 2020; 8:418-444. [PMID: 32944241 PMCID: PMC7491920 DOI: 10.1017/nws.2020.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
While network research often focuses on social integration as a predictor of health, a less-explored idea is that connections to dissimilar others may benefit well-being. As such, this study investigates whether network diversity is associated with changes in four health outcomes over a 3-year period of time in the U.S.A. Specifically, we focus on how an underexplored measure of network diversity-educational attainment assortativity-is associated with common self-reported outcomes: propensity to exercise, body-mass index, mental health, and physical health. We extend prior research by conducting multilevel analyses using this measure of diversity while adjusting for a range of socio-demographic and network confounders. Data are drawn from a longitudinal probability sample of U.S. adults (n = 10, 679) in which respondents reported information about themselves and eight possible alters during three yearly surveys (2013-2015). We find, first, that higher educational attainment is associated with more educationally insular networks, while less-educated adults have more educationally diverse networks. Results further suggest that having educationally similar networks is associated with higher body-mass index among the less educated. Further exploration of the relationship between ego network diversity, tie strength, and health is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C. Pachucki
- Department of Sociology, Computational Social Science Institute, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Diego F. Leal
- Department of Sociology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Koyama Y, Fujiwara T, Isumi A, Doi S. Degree of influence in class modifies the association between social network diversity and well-being: Results from a large population-based study in Japan. Soc Sci Med 2020; 260:113170. [PMID: 32712555 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social network diversity can be associated with physical and mental health among adolescents, which might be modified by their perceived degree of influence in class. We aimed to examine the association between social network diversity and physical and mental health, and to elucidate its effect modification by perceived degree of influence in class. METHODS Data were obtained from the Kochi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (K-CHILD) study in 2016, which targeted 5th, 8th and 11th grade children living in Kochi Prefecture in Japan (N = 9998). Social network diversity accounted for the number of social roles in which adolescents had regular contact. Degree of influence in class, depression (using Depression Self-Rating Scale for children (DSRS)) and self-rated health were assessed by children, and behavior problem and prosocial behavior (using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)) was assessed by caregivers. RESULTS Significant association of social network diversity with depression (Coefficient (B) = -0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.68 to -0.50), self-rated health (B = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.11), behavior problem (B = -0.71, 95% CI = -0.82 to -0.61) and prosocial behavior (B = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.11) were found. The association with depression and self-rated health was stronger among children with perceived low degree of influence (both p for interaction < 0.001). A similar trend was observed for behavior problem (p for interaction = 0.053), but effect modification was not found for the association between social network diversity and prosocial behavior. CONCLUSIONS Social network diversity was beneficial for adolescent physical and mental health, especially for children with perceived lower degree of influence in class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Koyama
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan
| | - Takeo Fujiwara
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan.
| | - Aya Isumi
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan
| | - Satomi Doi
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan
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22
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Dodell-Feder D, Shovestul B, Woodyatt J, Popov V, Germine L. Social anhedonia, social networks, and psychotic-like experiences: A test of social deafferentation. Psychiatry Res 2020; 284:112682. [PMID: 31735375 PMCID: PMC7012747 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Social connection is robustly associated with physical and mental health. So important is social connection that it features prominently in several etiological theories of serious psychopathology. Most notably, the social deafferentation hypothesis of schizophrenia posits that social anhedonia (SA) and isolation cause neural changes that produce psychosis. Here, we test several tenants of this theory by examining the relation between SA, psychotic-like experiences (PLE), and social networks. We find that SA and PLE are related to social networks, and that the relation between SA and PLE can be explained, in part, by the impact of SA on social networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dodell-Feder
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Bridget Shovestul
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jessica Woodyatt
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Popov
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Laura Germine
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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23
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Blumen HM, Verghese J. Gray matter volume covariance networks associated with social networks in older adults. Soc Neurosci 2019; 14:559-570. [PMID: 30324863 PMCID: PMC6467743 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2018.1535999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Extensive social networks are associated with better physical, mental, and cognitive health in aging, but the underlying brain substrates remain largely unexplored. Voxel-based morphometry and multivariate statistics were used to identify gray matter volume covariance networks associated with social networks in 86 older adults without dementia (M Age = 75.20 years, 53% women). Gray matter networks associated with the number of high-contact social roles and the total number of network members were identified after adjusting for age, sex, education, global health, and total intracranial volume - and shared nodes included medial, lateral and orbital prefrontal, hippocampal, precuneus, insular, and cingulate regions. Greater expression of these gray matter networks was associated with better memory scores on the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test. A more distributed network was associated with high-contact social roles than total number of networks members - also extending into amygdala and entorhinal cortex. Thus, high-contact social roles and total number of network members in older adults are associated with gray matter networks composed of regions previously linked to memory and affected by both healthy aging and Alzheimer disease - and high-contact social roles are more strongly associated with brain structures than the total number of network members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena M Blumen
- a Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx , NY , USA
| | - Joe Verghese
- b Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx , NY , USA
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24
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Wassenaar TM, Yaffe K, van der Werf YD, Sexton CE. Associations between modifiable risk factors and white matter of the aging brain: insights from diffusion tensor imaging studies. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 80:56-70. [PMID: 31103633 PMCID: PMC6683729 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest in factors that may modulate white matter (WM) breakdown and, consequentially, age-related cognitive and behavioral deficits. Recent diffusion tensor imaging studies have examined the relationship of such factors with WM microstructure. This review summarizes the evidence regarding the relationship between WM microstructure and recognized modifiable factors, including hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, depressive symptoms, physical (in) activity, and social isolation, as well as sleep disturbances, diet, cognitive training, and meditation. Current cross-sectional evidence suggests a clear link between loss of WM integrity (lower fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity) and hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and smoking; a relationship that seems to hold for hearing loss, social isolation, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbances. Physical activity, cognitive training, diet, and meditation, on the other hand, may protect WM with aging. Preliminary evidence from cross-sectional studies of treated risk factors suggests that modification of factors could slow down negative effects on WM microstructure. Careful intervention studies are needed for this literature to contribute to public health initiatives going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Wassenaar
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, FMRIB Centre, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ysbrand D van der Werf
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, MC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Claire E Sexton
- Department of Neurology, Global Brain Health Institute, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK.
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25
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Bang M, Kim J, An SK, Youm Y, Chey J, Kim HC, Park K, Namkoong K, Lee E. Associations of systemic inflammation with frontotemporal functional network connectivity and out-degree social-network size in community-dwelling older adults. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 79:309-313. [PMID: 30685533 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that systemic inflammation adversely affects social experiences and behaviors of older adults by changing the functional state of the brain. In this study, we investigated the relationships among systemic inflammation, functional network connectivity (FNC) of the whole brain, and social-network size using complete social-network data of older adults residing in a Korean village. Sixty-one participants were recruited from the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP). Participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured as an inflammation marker. In-degree and out-degree network sizes were calculated based on the total number of intimate social relationships per participant. We demonstrated that hs-CRP levels were associated with decreased frontotemporal FNC. Stronger frontotemporal FNC was significantly correlated with a larger out-degree network size, suggesting that impaired frontotemporal communication in older adults decreases perceived social connectedness with other people. An exploratory mediation analysis supported the observation that increased systemic inflammation contributes to reduced out-degree social-network size among older adults by changing frontotemporal FNC. The present findings provide meaningful insight into the complex relationship between systemic inflammation and social quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minji Bang
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, 59 Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do 13496, Republic of Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Junsol Kim
- Department of Sociology, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk Kyoon An
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yoosik Youm
- Department of Sociology, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jeanyung Chey
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyeon Chang Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyungmee Park
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kee Namkoong
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Eun Lee
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
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26
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27
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Femiano C, Trojsi F, Caiazzo G, Siciliano M, Passaniti C, Russo A, Bisecco A, Cirillo M, Monsurrò MR, Esposito F, Tedeschi G, Santangelo G. Apathy Is Correlated with Widespread Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Impairment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Behav Neurol 2018; 2018:2635202. [PMID: 30425751 PMCID: PMC6217902 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2635202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Apathy is recognized as the most common behavioral change in several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder. Particularly, apathy has been reported to be associated with poor ALS prognosis. However, the brain microstructural correlates of this behavioral symptom, reported as the most common in ALS, have not been completely elucidated. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), here we aimed to quantify the correlation between brain microstructural damage and apathy scores in the early stages of ALS. Twenty-one consecutive ALS patients, in King's clinical stage 1 or 2, and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological examination. Between-group comparisons did not show any significant difference on cognitive and behavioral variables. When compared to HCs, ALS patients exhibited a decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) [p < .05, threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) corrected] in the corpus callosum and in bilateral anterior cingulate cortices. Self-rated Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) scores and self-rated apathy T-scores of the Frontal Systems Behavior (FrSBe) scale were found inversely correlated to FA measures (p < .05, TFCE corrected) in widespread white matter (WM) areas, including several associative fiber tracts in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. These results point towards an early microstructural degeneration of brain areas biologically involved in cognition and behavior regulation in ALS. Moreover, the significant correlations between apathy and DTI measures in several brain areas may suggest that subtle WM changes may be associated with mild behavioral symptoms in ALS even in the absence of overt cognitive and behavioral impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Femiano
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Trojsi
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Caiazzo
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Mattia Siciliano
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Carla Passaniti
- Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Alvino Bisecco
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Cirillo
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Monsurrò
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Esposito
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Gioacchino Tedeschi
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences; MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
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28
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Greene C, Cieslak M, Grafton ST. Effect of different spatial normalization approaches on tractography and structural brain networks. Netw Neurosci 2018; 2:362-380. [PMID: 30294704 PMCID: PMC6145854 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
To facilitate the comparison of white matter morphologic connectivity across target populations, it is invaluable to map the data to a standardized neuroanatomical space. Here, we evaluated direct streamline normalization (DSN), where the warping was applied directly to the streamlines, with two publically available approaches that spatially normalize the diffusion data and then reconstruct the streamlines. Prior work has shown that streamlines generated after normalization from reoriented diffusion data do not reliably match the streamlines generated in native space. To test the impact of these different normalization methods on quantitative tractography measures, we compared the reproducibility of the resulting normalized connectivity matrices and network metrics with those originally obtained in native space. The two methods that reconstruct streamlines after normalization led to significant differences in network metrics with large to huge standardized effect sizes, reflecting a dramatic alteration of the same subject’s native connectivity. In contrast, after normalizing with DSN we found no significant difference in network metrics compared with native space with only very small-to-small standardized effect sizes. DSN readily outperformed the other methods at preserving native space connectivity and introduced novel opportunities to define connectome networks without relying on gray matter parcellations. Direct streamline normalization (DSN) directly warps the streamlines into any template space by using the transformations output from Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs). DSN overcomes the limitations of diffusion weighted images (DWI) spatial normalization. It allows DWIs to be acquired with any desired sampling scheme. Fiber orientation distributions (FODs) or orientation distribution functions (ODFs) can also be reconstructed using any desired method and streamlines generated using any algorithm. Most importantly, it avoids the problem of generating tracts from FODs or ODFs that have become distorted because of spatial normalization. Our results show that DSN has minimal influence on tractography measures such as tract count and structure and does not significantly alter structural networks with only very small to small effect sizes. We have developed a framework in Python that works with most diffusion software platforms. It is available at http://github.com/clintg6/DSN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clint Greene
- Signal Compression Lab, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Matt Cieslak
- Action Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Scott T Grafton
- Action Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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29
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Liu X, Liu S, Huang R, Chen X, Xie Y, Ma R, Luo Y, Bu J, Zhang X. Neuroimaging Studies Reveal the Subtle Difference Among Social Network Size Measurements and Shed Light on New Directions. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:461. [PMID: 30050401 PMCID: PMC6052898 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Social network size is a key feature when we explore the constructions of human social networks. Despite the disparate understanding of individuals’ social networks, researchers have reached a consensus that human’s social networks are hierarchically organized with different layers, which represent emotional bonds and interaction frequency. Social brain hypothesis emphasizes the significance of complex and demanding social interaction environments and assumes that the cognitive constraints may have an impact on the social network size. This paper reviews neuroimaging studies on social networks that explored the connection between individuals’ social network size and neural mechanisms and finds that Social Network Index (SNI) and Social Network Questionnaires (SNQs) are the mostly-adopted measurements of one’s social network size. The two assessments have subtle difference in essence as they measure the different sublayers of one’s social network. The former measures the relatively outer sub-layer of one’s stable social relationship, similar to the sympathy group, while the latter assesses the innermost layer—the core of one’s social network, often referred to as support clique. This subtle difference is also corroborated by neuroimaging studies, as SNI-measured social network size is largely correlated with the amygdala, while SNQ-assessed social network size is closely related to both the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex. The two brain regions respond to disparate degrees of social closeness, respectively. Finally, it proposes a careful choice among the measurements for specific purposes and some new approaches to assess individuals’ social network size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Liu
- School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,School of Foreign Languages, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei, China
| | - Shen Liu
- School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ruiqi Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xueli Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yunlu Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ru Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yuzhi Luo
- School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Junjie Bu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaochu Zhang
- School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Hefei Medical Research Center on Alcohol Addiction, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China.,Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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30
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Porter A, Leckie R, Verstynen T. White matter pathways as both a target and mediator of health behaviors. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1428:71-88. [PMID: 29749627 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Health behaviors arise from the dynamics of highly interconnected networks in the brain and variability in these networks drives individual differences in behavior. In this review, we show how many factors that predict the physical health of the body also correlate with variability of the myelinated fascicles, called white matter, that connect brain regions together. The general pattern present in the literature is that as predictors of physical health decline, there is often a coincident reduction in the integrity of major white matter pathways. We also highlight a plausible mechanism, inflammatory pathways, whereby health-related activation of the immune system can impact the myelin sheath, a protective tissue that facilitates long range communication in the brain. The growing body of evidence supports the hypothesis that degrading health in the periphery may disrupt the communication efficiency of the macroscopic neural circuits that mediate complex behaviors, which can in turn contribute to poorer physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Porter
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Regina Leckie
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Timothy Verstynen
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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31
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Powell MA, Garcia JO, Yeh FC, Vettel JM, Verstynen T. Local connectome phenotypes predict social, health, and cognitive factors. Netw Neurosci 2018; 2:86-105. [PMID: 29911679 PMCID: PMC5989992 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique architecture of the human connectome is defined initially by genetics and subsequently sculpted over time with experience. Thus, similarities in predisposition and experience that lead to similarities in social, biological, and cognitive attributes should also be reflected in the local architecture of white matter fascicles. Here we employ a method known as local connectome fingerprinting that uses diffusion MRI to measure the fiber-wise characteristics of macroscopic white matter pathways throughout the brain. This fingerprinting approach was applied to a large sample (N = 841) of subjects from the Human Connectome Project, revealing a reliable degree of between-subject correlation in the local connectome fingerprints, with a relatively complex, low-dimensional substructure. Using a cross-validated, high-dimensional regression analysis approach, we derived local connectome phenotype (LCP) maps that could reliably predict a subset of subject attributes measured, including demographic, health, and cognitive measures. These LCP maps were highly specific to the attribute being predicted but also sensitive to correlations between attributes. Collectively, these results indicate that the local architecture of white matter fascicles reflects a meaningful portion of the variability shared between subjects along several dimensions. The local connectome is the pattern of fiber systems (i.e., number of fibers, orientation, and size) within a voxel, and it reflects the proximal characteristics of white matter fascicles distributed throughout the brain. Here we show how variability in the local connectome is correlated in a principled way across individuals. This intersubject correlation is reliable enough that unique phenotype maps can be learned to predict between-subject variability in a range of social, health, and cognitive attributes. This work shows, for the first time, how the local connectome has both the sensitivity and the specificity to be used as a phenotypic marker for subject-specific attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Powell
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA
| | - Javier O Garcia
- U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fang-Cheng Yeh
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jean M Vettel
- U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Timothy Verstynen
- Department of Psychology and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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32
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Noonan MP, Mars RB, Sallet J, Dunbar RIM, Fellows LK. The structural and functional brain networks that support human social networks. Behav Brain Res 2018; 355:12-23. [PMID: 29471028 PMCID: PMC6152579 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Social skills rely on a specific set of cognitive processes, raising the possibility that individual differences in social networks are related to differences in specific brain structural and functional networks. Here, we tested this hypothesis with multimodality neuroimaging. With diffusion MRI (DMRI), we showed that differences in structural integrity of particular white matter (WM) tracts, including cingulum bundle, extreme capsule and arcuate fasciculus were associated with an individual's social network size (SNS). A voxel-based morphology analysis demonstrated correlations between gray matter (GM) volume and SNS in limbic and temporal lobe regions. These structural changes co-occured with functional network differences. As a function of SNS, dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed altered resting-state functional connectivity with the default mode network (DMN). Finally, we integrated these three complementary methods, interrogating the relationship between social GM clusters and specific WM and resting-state networks (RSNs). Probabilistic tractography seeded in these GM nodes utilized the SNS-related WM pathways. Further, the spatial and functional overlap between the social GM clusters and the DMN was significantly closer than other control RSNs. These integrative analyses provide convergent evidence of the role of specific circuits in SNS, likely supporting the adaptive behavior necessary for success in extensive social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Noonan
- McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 Rue University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Quebec, Canada; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom.
| | - R B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J Sallet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom
| | - L K Fellows
- McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 Rue University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Quebec, Canada
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33
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Green MF, Horan WP, Lee J, McCleery A, Reddy LF, Wynn JK. Social Disconnection in Schizophrenia and the General Community. Schizophr Bull 2018; 44. [PMID: 28637195 PMCID: PMC5814840 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Social disability is a defining characteristic of schizophrenia and a substantial public health problem. It has several components that are difficult to disentangle. One component, social disconnection, occurs extensively in the general community among nonhelp-seeking individuals. Social disconnection is an objective, long-standing lack of social/family relationships and minimal participation in social activities. It is associated with negative health effects, including early mortality, and is distinct from subjective loneliness. These 2 topics, social disability in schizophrenia and social disconnection in the general community, have generated entirely distinct research literatures that differ in their respective knowledge gaps and emphases. Specifically, the consequences of social disability in schizophrenia are unknown but its determinants (ie, nonsocial cognition, social cognition, and social motivation) have been well-examined. Conversely, the health consequences of social disconnection in the general community are well-established, but the determinants are largely unknown. Social disconnection is a condition that presents substantial public health concerns, exists within and outside of current psychiatric diagnostic boundaries, and may be related to the schizophrenia spectrum. A comparison of these 2 literatures is mutually informative and it generates intriguing research questions that can be critically evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Rm 27–462, Los Angeles, CA 90024–1759, US; tel: 310-268-3376, fax: 818-991-7809, e-mail:
| | - William P Horan
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Amanda McCleery
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - L Felice Reddy
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jonathan K Wynn
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Veterans Affairs, Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA
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Abstract
As life expectancy increases, health in the elderly is a growing issue. Health is linked to remaining socially active, but the elderly typically narrow their social networks. The social life of aging monkeys shows interesting parallels, indicating social patterns may be rooted in evolution.
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O'Donnell MB, Bayer JB, Cascio CN, Falk EB. Neural bases of recommendations differ according to social network structure. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:61-69. [PMID: 28100830 PMCID: PMC5390723 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ideas spread across social networks, but not everyone is equally positioned to be a successful recommender. Do individuals with more opportunities to connect otherwise unconnected others—high information brokers—use their brains differently than low information brokers when making recommendations? We test the hypothesis that those with more opportunities for information brokerage may use brain systems implicated in considering the thoughts, perspectives, and mental states of others (i.e. ‘mentalizing’) more when spreading ideas. We used social network analysis to quantify individuals’ opportunities for information brokerage. This served as a predictor of activity within meta-analytically defined neural regions associated with mentalizing (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporal parietal junction, medial prefrontal cortex, /posterior cingulate cortex, middle temporal gyrus) as participants received feedback about peer opinions of mobile game apps. Higher information brokers exhibited more activity in this mentalizing network when receiving divergent peer feedback and updating their recommendation. These data support the idea that those in different network positions may use their brains differently to perform social tasks. Different social network positions might provide more opportunities to engage specific psychological processes. Or those who tend to engage such processes more may place themselves in systematically different network positions. These data highlight the value of integrating levels of analysis, from brain networks to social networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph B Bayer
- School of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Christopher N Cascio
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Emily B Falk
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Falk EB, Bassett DS. Brain and Social Networks: Fundamental Building Blocks of Human Experience. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:674-690. [PMID: 28735708 PMCID: PMC8590886 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily B Falk
- Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Marketing, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Joo WT, Kwak S, Youm Y, Chey J. Brain functional connectivity difference in the complete network of an entire village: the role of social network size and embeddedness. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4465. [PMID: 28667288 PMCID: PMC5493622 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04904-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Social networks are known to protect cognitive function in old age. For the first time, this study examines how social network size and social network embeddedness measured by k-core score are associated with functional connectivity in the brain using the complete social network of an entire village. According to the results, social network size has both positive and negative associations with functional connectivity; showing no meaningful pattern relative to distance among brain regions. However, older adults deeply embedded in the complete network tend to maintain functional connectivity between long-distance regions even after controlling for other covariates such as age, gender, education, and Mini-Mental State Examination score. Network Based Statistics (NBS) also revealed strong and consistent evidence that social network embeddedness has component-level associations with functional connectivity among brain regions, especially between inferior prefrontal and occipital/parietal lobes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Tak Joo
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Seyul Kwak
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yoosik Youm
- Department of Sociology, Yonsei University, Yonsei-ro 50, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Jeanyung Chey
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
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38
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Abstract
Personal social network size exhibits considerable variation in the human population and is associated with both physical and mental health status. Much of this inter-individual variation in human sociality remains unexplained from a biological perspective. According to the brain opioid theory of social attachment, binding of the neuropeptide β-endorphin to μ-opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) is a key neurochemical mechanism involved in social bonding, particularly amongst primates. We hypothesise that a positive association exists between activity of the μ-opioid system and the number of social relationships that an individual maintains. Given the powerful analgesic properties of β-endorphin, we tested this hypothesis using pain tolerance as an assay for activation of the endogenous μ-opioid system. We show that a simple measure of pain tolerance correlates with social network size in humans. Our results are in line with previous studies suggesting that μ-opioid receptor signalling has been elaborated beyond its basic function of pain modulation to play an important role in managing our social encounters. The neuroplasticity of the μ-opioid system is of future research interest, especially with respect to psychiatric disorders associated with symptoms of social withdrawal and anhedonia, both of which are strongly modulated by endogenous opioids.
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Serra M, De Pisapia N, Rigo P, Papinutto N, Jager J, Bornstein MH, Venuti P. Secure attachment status is associated with white matter integrity in healthy young adults. Neuroreport 2015; 26:1106-11. [PMID: 26559724 PMCID: PMC4646732 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000000479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigates associations between security of attachment in the mother-child relationship and patterns of brain connectivity in young adults. We hypothesized that secure attachment would relate to more efficient connectivity in white matter association fibers due to increased myelination. Attachment security was measured in 53 young adults using the Kerns Security Scale; anatomical information was acquired using diffusion tensor imaging. Higher fractional anisotropy, an index of directionality of diffusion, related to security of attachment in four left-hemisphere white matter association fibers (uncinate fasciculus, cingulum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus). As expected, this result was mainly ascribable to increased myelination, which has been independently associated with attachment security. Security of attachment may have an identifiable biological basis. Our research demonstrates the feasibility of coupling neuroimaging tools with clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Serra
- Department of Psychology and cognitive science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Nicola De Pisapia
- Department of Psychology and cognitive science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Psychology and cognitive science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Justin Jager
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Marc H. Bornstein
- National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Paola Venuti
- Department of Psychology and cognitive science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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Hostinar CE. Recent Developments in the Study of Social Relationships, Stress Responses, and Physical Health. Curr Opin Psychol 2015; 5:90-95. [PMID: 26366429 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This selective review aims to highlight some of the most recent empirical or theoretical advancements in the study of social relationships as buffers against stress and as protective factors against risk for disease, focusing on articles published between 2013 and 2015. The review summarizes novel findings showing that social relationships can protect individuals against negative health outcomes associated with chronic adversity and can be associated with reduced cumulative physiological damage (allostatic load). There is also evidence that some relationships can be a source of stress. Additionally, recent findings concerning the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of action for social support, the developmental patterning of social stress-buffering and recent experimental studies attempting to change relationships to affect health are also reviewed.
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Maintaining older brain functionality: A targeted review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:453-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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