1
|
Wang P, Tao C. The influence of intergenerational support on cognitive functioning among middle-aged Chinese: Moderation by personal income. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2024; 122:105393. [PMID: 38452651 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105393] [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: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the effects of personal income on the relationship between intergenerational support (IS) and cognitive functioning. METHODS Data were obtained from four waves of nationally representative surveys of the 2011-2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), involving 8,207 participants aged 45 ∼ 60 at baseline. Multivariate linear regression models using generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the effects of three forms of intergenerational mutual supports on cognitive functioning in middle-aged adults, and subgroup regressions were used to analyze the moderating role of personal income in this relationship. RESULTS The results showed that financial and caregiving support from children impaired the cognitive functioning of their parents; whereas providing financial support to children and mutual emotional support with them positively affected their cognition; however, childcare was not significantly associated with cognitive levels in middle-aged adults. Moreover, the effect of IS on the cognitive level of Chinese middle-aged people disappeared or was attenuated by having pensions or earning their own post-tax income. CONCLUSION IS has a significant effect on cognitive functioning in middle-aged adults, but this effect is moderated by personal income. These results are informative for the development of intergenerational relationship intervention programs for the prevention of cognitive decline in middle-aged adults with different personal income.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wang
- School of Statistics and Data Science, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330013, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330004, China.
| | - Chunhai Tao
- School of Statistics and Data Science, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330013, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Massarwe A, Cohen N. Understanding the benefits of extrinsic emotion regulation in depression. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1120653. [PMID: 37179872 PMCID: PMC10172593 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120653] [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: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a serious psychiatric illness that negatively affects people's feelings, thoughts, and actions. Providing emotion regulation support to others, also termed Extrinsic Emotion Regulation (EER), reduces depressive symptoms such as perseverative thinking and negative mood. In this conceptual review paper, we argue that EER may be especially beneficial for individuals with depression because it enhances the cognitive and affective processes known to be impaired in depression. Behavioral studies have shown that EER recruits processes related to cognitive empathy, intrinsic emotion regulation (IER), and reward, all impaired in depression. Neuroimaging data support these findings by showing that EER recruits brain regions related to these three processes, such as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex which is associated with IER, the ventral striatum, which is associated with reward-related processes, and medial frontal regions related to cognitive empathy. This conceptual review paper sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of EER for individuals with depression and therefore offers novel avenues for treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Atheer Massarwe
- Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- *Correspondence: Atheer Massarwe,
| | - Noga Cohen
- Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ma SS, Zhang JT, Song KR, Zhao R, Fang RH, Wang LB, Yao ST, Hu YF, Jiang XY, Potenza MN, Fang XY. Connectome-based prediction of marital quality in husbands' processing of spousal interactions. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:1055-1067. [PMID: 35560211 PMCID: PMC9714425 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Marital quality may decrease during the early years of marriage. Establishing models predicting individualized marital quality may help develop timely and effective interventions to maintain or improve marital quality. Given that marital interactions have an important impact on marital well-being cross-sectionally and prospectively, neural responses during marital interactions may provide insight into neural bases underlying marital well-being. The current study applies connectome-based predictive modeling, a recently developed machine-learning approach, to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from both partners of 25 early-stage Chinese couples to examine whether an individual's unique pattern of brain functional connectivity (FC) when responding to spousal interactive behaviors can reliably predict their own and their partners' marital quality after 13 months. Results revealed that husbands' FC involving multiple large networks, when responding to their spousal interactive behaviors, significantly predicted their own and their wives' marital quality, and this predictability showed gender specificity. Brain connectivity patterns responding to general emotional stimuli and during the resting state were not significantly predictive. This study demonstrates that husbands' differences in large-scale neural networks during marital interactions may contribute to their variability in marital quality and highlights gender-related differences. The findings lay a foundation for identifying reliable neuroimaging biomarkers for developing interventions for marital quality early in marriages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Shan Ma
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jin-Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Kun-Ru Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ren-Hui Fang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Luo-Bin Wang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shu-Ting Yao
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yi-Fan Hu
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Xin-Ying Jiang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT 06109, USA
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Xiao-Yi Fang
- Correspondence should be addressed to Xiao-Yi Fang, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekou Wai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pechtel P, Belleau EL, Kaiser RH, Whitton AE, Beltzer M, Clegg R, Goer F, Vitaliano G, Teicher MH, Pizzagalli DA. Stress and reward: A multimodal assessment of childhood sexual abuse. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100498. [PMID: 36532372 PMCID: PMC9755059 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Childhood adversity has been found to impact stress and brain reward systems but it is unclear whether interactions between these systems might explain resilient vs. non-resilient trajectories following childhood sexual abuse (CSA). To address this gap, we adopted a multimodal approach in which cortisol reactivity to an acute stressor was assessed in conjunction with behavioral and neural measures of reward responsiveness in females with major depressive disorder (MDD) or no psychiatric disorders (i.e., resilient) who experienced CSA compared to females with and without MDD who did not experience abuse. Methods Latent Class Mixed Modelling (LCMM) identified classes of adults (n = 62; MAge = 26.48, SD = 5.68) characterized by distinct cortisol trajectories in response to a combined social evaluative cold pressor task. Classes were examined for their history of CSA and resilience as well as behavioral and neural measures of reward responsiveness using 128-channel electroencephalography (event-related potentials and source localization analysis). Results LCMM analysis identified two distinct classes of individuals with increased (Responders) or blunted (Non-Responders) cortisol reactivity to an acute stressor. Unlike Responders, Non-Responders did not modulate reward responses throughout the stress manipulation. No differences emerged between Responders and Non-Responders in terms of CSA or resilience. However, exploratory results showed that blunted cortisol response and non-modulation of reward responses emerged for those who experienced CSA at a younger age. Conclusions Co-occurring blunted stress and reward reactivity emerged irrespective of adults' experience of CSA or resilience. However, preliminary findings showed that CSA ending during peripubertal development was associated with blunted cortisol and reward responsiveness. Future research needs to replicate findings in larger samples and could investigate if increasing reward responsiveness during critical times of neurodevelopment could normalize stress reactivity to future stressors and thus promote resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pia Pechtel
- University of Exeter, Department of Psychology, Exeter, UK
| | - Emily L. Belleau
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Roselinde H. Kaiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
| | - Alexis E. Whitton
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Miranda Beltzer
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA
| | - Rachel Clegg
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA
| | - Franziska Goer
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA
| | - Gordana Vitaliano
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Diego A. Pizzagalli
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Arbel R, Szpiro SF, Sagi J, Khuri M, Berkovits L, Cohen N. Reappraising negative emotions reduces distress during the COVID-19 outbreak. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022:1-10. [PMID: 36124046 PMCID: PMC9476464 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03642-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In two studies, we examined the utility of intrinsic (i.e., self) versus extrinsic (i.e., other) reappraisal training for distress reduction during two consecutive COVID-19 lockdowns in Israel. In both Study 1 (n = 104) and Study 2 (n = 181), participants practiced the use of reappraisal for eight sessions across three weeks. Participants were trained to reappraise either a personal event (self-reappraisal group) or an incident presumably written by another participant (other-reappraisal group). Study 2 also included an untrained control group. Outcome measures were daily negative mood and psychological distress immediately at post-training and at a two-month follow-up. The results demonstrate a benefit for training compared to no training in lowering immediate post-training distress and daily negative emotions. However, this advantage disappeared at the two-month follow-up. In both studies, intrinsic reappraisal was associated with lower post-training distress than extrinsic reappraisal. Findings suggest reappraising negative experiences may lower distress at times of major contextual stress. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03642-6.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reout Arbel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, The Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Hushi Ave, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Sarit F.A. Szpiro
- Department of Special Education, Haifa, Israel
- The Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | | | | | - Lior Berkovits
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Haifa, Israel
| | - Noga Cohen
- Department of Special Education, Haifa, Israel
- The Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Karan M, Lazar L, Leschak CJ, Galván A, Eisenberger NI, Uy JP, Dieffenbach MC, Crone EA, Telzer EH, Fuligni AJ. Giving to others and neural processing during adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 56:101128. [PMID: 35759828 PMCID: PMC9249997 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is marked by an increased sensitivity to the social environment as youth navigate evolving relationships with family, friends, and communities. Prosocial behavior becomes more differentiated such that older adolescents increasingly give more to known others (e.g., family, friends) than to strangers. This differentiation may be linked with changes in neural processing among brain regions implicated in social decision-making. A total of 269 adolescents from 9–15 and 19–20 years of age completed a decision-making task in which they could give money to caregivers, friends, and strangers while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Giving to caregivers and friends (at a cost to oneself) increased with age, but giving to strangers remained lower and stable across age. Brain regions implicated in cognitive control (dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex) showed increased blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activation with increasing age across giving decisions to all recipients; regions associated with reward processing (ventral striatum and ventral tegmental area) showed increased activation across all ages when giving to all recipients. Brain regions associated with social cognition were either not active (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex) or showed reduced activation (temporal parietal junction and posterior superior temporal sulcus) when giving to others across all ages. Findings have implications for understanding the role of brain development in the increased complexity of social decision-making during adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maira Karan
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Lee Lazar
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | | | - Adriana Galván
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | - Jessica P Uy
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | | | - Eva H Telzer
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Andrew J Fuligni
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kornienko O, Riis J, Davila M, White NS, Garner PW. Preliminary insights into associations between C-reactive protein and social network dynamics. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 139:105690. [PMID: 35193045 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent social psychoneuroimmunology models suggest bidirectional associations between social experiences and the immune system. This work posits that social relationships and networks may influence the functioning of the immune system, but we know little about the role that the immune system plays in how social networks are created and maintained. We examine how salivary C-reactive protein (CRP), as an inflammatory protein, is associated with making new and keeping existing friendship and conflicted relationships among young adult members of a social group. Participants (n = 37; 67.6% female; M age = 18.18 years, 56.81% white/non-Hispanic) provided nominations of friends and individuals with whom they have conflict at wave 1 and two months later at wave 2. At wave 1, in a group setting, participants donated saliva, later assayed for CRP. Stochastic actor-based models revealed that CRP levels were negatively associated with keeping existing friends and positively associated with developing new friendships. We also found that CRP levels were negatively associated with creating new conflicted relationships and predicted an increased likelihood that group members continue conflicted relationships with the focal individual. These preliminary results support the premises of recent social psychoneuroimmunology models by suggesting that inflammation can also serve as a signal to seek new supportive relationships such as friendships and avoid creating new relationships characterized by threat and/or conflict. Findings provide new insights into the theorized function of the immune system for social approach and withdrawal patterns through which our social connections are constructed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Kornienko
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, USA; Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, USA.
| | - Jenna Riis
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, USA; Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, USA.
| | | | | | - Pamela W Garner
- School of Integrative Studies and Human Development and Family Science, George Mason University, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hu S, Packard K, Opendak M. Social Regulation of Negative Valence Systems During Development. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 15:828685. [PMID: 35126064 PMCID: PMC8811468 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.828685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to sense, perceive, and respond appropriately to aversive cues is critical for survival. Conversely, dysfunction in any of these pathway components can lead to heightened avoidance of neutral or rewarding cues, such as social partners. The underlying circuitry mediating both negative valence processing and social behavior is particularly sensitive to early life experience, but mechanisms linking experience to pathology remain elusive. Previous research in humans, rodents, and non-human primates has highlighted the unique neurobiology of the developing infant and the role of the caregiver in mediating the infant’s negative valence circuitry, and the importance of this early social relationship for scaffolding lasting social behavior. In this review, we summarize the current literature on the development of negative valence circuits in the infant and their social regulation by the caregiver following both typical and adversity-rearing. We focus on clinically-relevant research using infant rodents which highlights the amygdala and its interface with the mesolimbic dopamine system through innervation from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as a locus of dysfunction following early-life adversity. We then describe how these circuits are recruited to perturb life-long social behavior following adversity and propose additional therapeutic targets in these circuits with an eye toward developing age-appropriate interventions.
Collapse
|
9
|
Parrish MH, Dutcher JM, Muscatell KA, Inagaki TK, Moieni M, Irwin MR, Eisenberger NI. Frontostriatal Functional Connectivity Underlies Self-Enhancement During Social Evaluation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:723-731. [PMID: 34984459 PMCID: PMC9340112 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-enhancement, the tendency to view oneself positively, is a pervasive social motive widely investigated in the psychological sciences. Relatively little is known about the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this motive, specifically in social-evaluative situations. To investigate whether positive emotion regulation circuitry, circuitry involved in modulating positive affect, relates to the self-enhancement motive in social contexts, we conducted an functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in a healthy young adult sample. We hypothesized that self-enhancement indices (state and trait self-esteem) would relate to greater functional connectivity between right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (RVLPFC), a region implicated in emotion regulation, and the ventral striatum (VS), a region associated with reward-related affect, during a social feedback task. Following social evaluation, participants experienced stable or decreased state self-esteem. Results showed that stable state self-esteem from pre- to post-scan and higher trait self-esteem related to greater RVLPFC–VS connectivity during positive evaluation. Stable-state self-esteem also related to greater RVLPFC–VS connectivity during negative evaluation. Moreover, RVLPFC activation during all types of feedback processing and left VS activation during negative feedback processing was greater for participants with stable-state self-esteem. These findings implicate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying emotion regulation in the self-enhancement motive and highlight a pathway through which self-enhancement may restore feelings of self-worth during threatening situations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Parrish
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Keely A Muscatell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | | | - Mona Moieni
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Michael R Irwin
- Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
The Effect of Caring Ability on Perceived Stress Mediated by Resilience. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02347-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
11
|
Hawkley L, Wroblewski K, Cagney KA, Waite LJ. Resilience and Social Support-Giving Scales: Conceptual and Empirical Validation. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:S238-S250. [PMID: 34918150 PMCID: PMC8678431 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab091] [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: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This report introduces National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) data users to 2 new measures-one that assesses older adults' resilience, defined as personal attributes that indicate an adaptive reserve that can be drawn on during adversity, and a second that expands on existing measures of social support received from others to also assess social support given to close others. METHOD Data from 4,604 NSHAP respondents born 1920-1965 were used to conduct psychometric analyses and validation of our measures of resilience and social support-giving. RESULTS Scale reliabilities were acceptable for the 4-item resilience scale, and the 2-item scales for family support-giving and friend support-giving. The 2 spousal support-giving items did not cohere well as a single scale. The resilience scale exhibited significant correlations with criterion validation variables, even after adjusting for correlated personality traits. The support-giving scales, and the spousal support-giving items, also exhibited significant correlations with criteria, and with the resilience scale, even after adjusting for social support receipt. Scale means exhibited demographic differences. DISCUSSION The resilience and social support-giving measures have acceptable psychometric characteristics (with the exception of spousal support-giving), convergent validity, and predictive utility net of related variables. NSHAP data users are offered several suggestions (key points) in the use of these measures in future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise Hawkley
- Academic Research Centers, NORC at the University of Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Kathleen A Cagney
- Academic Research Centers, NORC at the University of Chicago, Illinois, USA
- University of Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Linda J Waite
- Academic Research Centers, NORC at the University of Chicago, Illinois, USA
- University of Chicago, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lazar L, Eisenberger NI. The benefits of giving: Effects of prosocial behavior on recovery from stress. Psychophysiology 2021; 59:e13954. [PMID: 34676898 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Individuals regularly face stress, and the manner in which they cope with that stress is a crucial component in predicting stress recovery. While many engage in self-rewarding behaviors to feel better, these behaviors can come with a cost. The current study tested the effect of engaging in a different behavior after experiencing stress-prosocial behavior. Given the health benefits associated with giving to others, it is plausible that engaging in prosocial behavior is more successful in reducing the psychological and physiological responses to stress. To test this, participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test and then either sent a gift card to a person of their choosing, received a gift card for themselves, or selected the more aesthetically pleasing gift card. Measures of self-reported mood, heart rate, blood pressure, salivary alpha-amylase, and cortisol were collected throughout the session. While the manipulation did not elicit differences in psychological or hormonal measures, the giving group showed a significantly greater downregulation of their heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure while recovering from the stressor. Additionally, those in the giving group who evidenced greater prosocial sentiment showed a larger reduction in diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure. A follow-up study suggested that these behaviors may be engaging different reward components, as those who gave a gift card reported greater "liking" while those who received a gift card reported greater "wanting". Overall, the findings show that engaging in prosocial behavior following a stressor can help to downregulate physiological stress responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee Lazar
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Naomi I Eisenberger
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Shamay-Tsoory SG, Eisenberger NI. Getting in touch: A neural model of comforting touch. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:263-273. [PMID: 34474048 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Comforting touch involves contact distress-alleviating behaviors of an observer towards the suffering of a target. A growing number of studies have investigated the effects of touch on pain attenuation, focusing on the (toucher), the target (comforted) or both. Here we synthesize findings of brain mechanisms underlying comforting touch in the target and toucher to propose an integrative brain model for understanding how touch attenuates distress. Building on evidence from the pain and distress literatures, our model applies interchangeably to pain and distress regulation. We describe comforting touch as a feedback-loop that begins with distress experienced by the target, triggering an empathic response in the toucher which in turn reduces distress in the target. This cycle is mediated by interactions between the neural circuits associated with touch perception, shared distress, emotion regulation and reward as well as brain-to-brain coupling in the observation-execution system. We conclude that formulating a model of comforting touch offers a mechanistic framework for understanding the effects of touch as well as other social interactions involving social support.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S G Shamay-Tsoory
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hazlett LI, Moieni M, Irwin MR, Haltom KEB, Jevtic I, Meyer ML, Breen EC, Cole SW, Eisenberger NI. Exploring neural mechanisms of the health benefits of gratitude in women: A randomized controlled trial. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 95:444-453. [PMID: 33932527 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gratitude has received growing interest as an emotion that can bring greater happiness and health. However, little is known about the effects of gratitude on objective measures of physical health or the neural mechanisms that underlie these effects. Given strong links between gratitude and giving behavior, and giving and health, it is possible that gratitude may benefit health through the same mechanisms as giving to others. Thus, this study investigated whether gratitude activates a neural 'caregiving system' (e.g., ventral striatum (VS), septal area (SA)), which can downregulate threat responding (e.g., amygdala) and possibly cellular inflammatory responses linked to health. METHODS A parallel group randomized controlled trial examined the effect of a six-week online gratitude (n = 31) vs. control (n = 30) writing intervention on neural activity and inflammatory outcomes. Pre- and post-intervention, healthy female participants (ages 35-50) reported on support-giving behavior and provided blood samples to assess circulating plasma levels and stimulated monocytic production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)). Post-intervention, participants completed a gratitude task and a threat reactivity task in an fMRI scanner. RESULTS There were no significant group differences (gratitude vs. control intervention) in neural responses (VS, SA, or amygdala) to the gratitude or threat tasks. However, across the entire sample, those who showed larger pre- to- post-intervention increases in self-reported support-giving showed larger reductions in amygdala reactivity following the gratitude task (vs. control task). Additionally, those who showed larger reductions in amygdala reactivity following the gratitude task showed larger pre-to-post reductions in the stimulated production of TNF-α and IL-6. Importantly, gratitude-related reductions in amygdala reactivity statistically mediated the relationship between increases in support-giving and decreases in stimulated TNF-α production. CONCLUSION The observed relationships suggest that gratitude may benefit health (reducing inflammatory responses) through the threat-reducing effects of support-giving.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura I Hazlett
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Mona Moieni
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Michael R Irwin
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, 300 Medical Plaza Driveway, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Kate E Byrne Haltom
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Ivana Jevtic
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Meghan L Meyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Elizabeth C Breen
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, 300 Medical Plaza Driveway, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Steven W Cole
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, 300 Medical Plaza Driveway, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., 60-054, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 757 Westwood Plaza #4, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Naomi I Eisenberger
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ashar YK, Andrews-Hanna JR, Halifax J, Dimidjian S, Wager TD. Effects of Compassion Training on Brain Responses to Suffering other. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:1036-1047. [PMID: 33948660 PMCID: PMC8483284 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Compassion meditation (CM) is a promising intervention for enhancing compassion, although its active ingredients and neurobiological mechanisms are not well-understood. To investigate these, we conducted a three-armed placebo-controlled randomized trial (N = 57) with longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We compared a 4-week CM program delivered by smartphone application with (i) a placebo condition, presented to participants as the compassion-enhancing hormone oxytocin, and (ii) a condition designed to control for increased familiarity with suffering others, an element of CM which may promote compassion. At pre- and post-intervention, participants listened to compassion-eliciting narratives describing suffering others during fMRI. CM increased brain responses to suffering others in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) relative to the familiarity condition, p < 0.05 family-wise error rate corrected. Among CM participants, individual differences in increased mOFC responses positively correlated with increased compassion-related feelings and attributions, r = 0.50, p = 0.04. Relative to placebo, the CM group exhibited a similar increase in mOFC activity at an uncorrected threshold of P < 0.001 and 10 contiguous voxels. We conclude that the mOFC, a region closely related to affiliative affect and motivation, is an important brain mechanism of CM. Effects of CM on mOFC function are not explained by familiarity effects and are partly explained by placebo effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoni K Ashar
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience., University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Joan Halifax
- Upaya Institute and Zen Center. Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Sona Dimidjian
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Boulder, Renee Crown Wellness Institute. Boulder, CO USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fryburg DA, Ureles SD, Myrick JG, Carpentier FD, Oliver MB. Kindness Media Rapidly Inspires Viewers and Increases Happiness, Calm, Gratitude, and Generosity in a Healthcare Setting. Front Psychol 2021; 11:591942. [PMID: 33551910 PMCID: PMC7854918 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Stress is a ubiquitous aspect of modern life that affects both mental and physical health. Clinical care settings can be particularly stressful for both patients and providers. Kindness and compassion are buffers for the negative effects of stress, likely through strengthening positive interpersonal connection. In previous laboratory-based studies, simply watching kindness media uplifts (elevates) viewers, increases altruism, and promotes connection to others. The objective of the present study is to examine whether kindness media can affect viewers in a real-world, pediatric healthcare setting. Methods: Parents and staff in a pediatric dental clinic were studied. Study days were randomized for viewers to watch either original kindness media or the standard televised children's programming that the clinic shows. Participants scored self-rated pre-media emotions in a survey, watched either media type for 8 min, and then completed the survey. All participants were informed that they would receive a gift card for their participation. After completion of the survey, participants were asked if they wanted to keep the card or donate it to a family in need. Results: Fifty (50) participants completed the study; 28 were parents and 22 were staff. In comparison to viewers of children's programming, participants who watched kindness media had significant increases in feeling happy, calmer, more grateful, and less irritated (p < 0.05), with trends observed in feeling more optimistic and less anxious. Kindness media caused marked increases in viewers' reports of feeling inspired, moved, or touched (p < 0.001). No change was observed in self-reported compassion, although baseline levels were self-rated as very high. People who watched kindness media were also more generous, with 85% donating their honoraria compared to 54% of Standard viewers (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Kindness media can increase positive emotions and promote generosity in a healthcare setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven D. Ureles
- Children’s Dental Associates of New London County, East Lyme, CT, United States
- School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jessica G. Myrick
- Bellisario College of Communications, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Francesca Dillman Carpentier
- Hussman School of Journalism and Media, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Mary Beth Oliver
- Bellisario College of Communications, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Inagaki TK, Meyer ML. Individual differences in resting-state connectivity and giving social support: implications for health. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:1076-1085. [PMID: 31269205 PMCID: PMC7657449 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing appreciation for the health benefits of giving support, though variability in such behavior exists. Based on the possibility that the dorsomedial (DMPFC) default network subsystem is associated with social thinking and behavior, integrity of this subsystem may facilitate giving support to others. The current study tested associations between DMPFC subsystem connectivity at rest and tendencies related to giving support. During a functional magnetic resonance imaging session, 45 participants completed an emotional social cues task, a resting-state scan and self-report measures of social support. Supportive behavior during the month following the scan was also assessed. Greater DMPFC subsystem connectivity at rest was associated with greater support giving (though not receiving or perceiving support) at the time of the scan and one month later. Results held after adjusting for extraversion. In addition, greater resting-state DMPFC subsystem connectivity was associated with attenuated dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula and amygdala activity to others’ negative emotional social cues, suggesting that DMPFC subsystem integrity at rest is also associated with the dampened withdrawal response proposed to facilitate care for others in need. Together, results begin to hint at an additional role for the ‘default’ social brain: giving support to others.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tristen K Inagaki
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Meghan L Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kohrt BA, Ottman K, Panter-Brick C, Konner M, Patel V. Why we heal: The evolution of psychological healing and implications for global mental health. Clin Psychol Rev 2020; 82:101920. [PMID: 33126037 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Why do humans heal one another? Evolutionary psychology has advanced our understanding of why humans suffer psychological distress and mental illness. However, to date, the evolutionary origins of what drives humans to alleviate the suffering of others has received limited attention. Therefore, we draw upon evolutionary theory to assess why humans psychologically support one another, focusing on the interpersonal regulation of emotions that shapes how humans heal and console one another when in psychosocial distress. To understand why we engage in psychological healing, we review the evolution of cooperation among social species and the roles of emotional contagion, empathy, and self-regulation. We discuss key aspects of human biocultural evolution that have contributed to healing behaviors: symbolic logic including language, complex social networks, and the long period of childhood that necessitates identifying and responding to others in distress. However, both biological and cultural evolution also have led to social context when empathy and consoling are impeded. Ultimately, by understanding the evolutionary processes shaping why humans psychologically do or do not heal one another, we can improve our current approaches in global mental health and uncover new opportunities to improve the treatment of mental illness across cultures and context around the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon A Kohrt
- Division of Global Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Katherine Ottman
- Division of Global Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Catherine Panter-Brick
- Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, Yale University, New Haven, and Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, USA
| | - Melvin Konner
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Vikram Patel
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Eller J, Simpson JA. Theoretical Boundary Conditions of Partner Buffering in Romantic Relationships. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E6880. [PMID: 32967095 PMCID: PMC7558565 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Attachment insecurity is consequential for both personal and relationship wellbeing. Some research has documented that partner buffering can downregulate insecure individuals' immediate feelings of distress, allowing them to feel more secure at least temporarily. The benefits of partner buffering, however, may be limited by several contextual factors. In this article, we identify boundary conditions that may curb or amplify the benefits of partner buffering for both targets (those who receive buffering) and agents (those who enact buffering). We suggest that motivation, ability, and timing may all affect partner buffering outcomes for targets and agents. If partner buffering is delivered in an adaptive way that does not reinforce the target's insecure tendencies, it may help insecure targets learn that they can trust and depend on their partners (agents), which may facilitate greater security in targets. We recommend that future research consider these contextual factors and examine partner buffering as an inherently dyadic relationship process capable of enhancing attachment security.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jami Eller
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Rab SL, Admon R. Parsing inter- and intra-individual variability in key nervous system mechanisms of stress responsivity and across functional domains. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:550-564. [PMID: 32941963 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stressful events is omnipresent in modern human life, yet people show considerable heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure(s) on their functionality and overall health. Encounter with stressor(s) is counteracted by an intricate repertoire of nervous-system responses. This narrative review starts with a brief summary of the vast evidence that supports heart rate variability, cortisol secretion, and large-scale cortical network interactions as kay physiological, endocrinological, and neural mechanisms of stress responsivity, respectively. The second section highlights potential sources for inter-individual variability in these mechanisms, by focusing on biological, environmental, social, habitual, and psychological factors that may influence stress responsivity patterns and thus contribute to heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure on functionality and health. The third section introduces intra-individually variability in stress responsivity across functional domains as a novel putative source for heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure. Challenges and future directions are further discussed. Parsing inter- and intra-individual variability in nervous-system mechanisms of stress responsivity and across functional domains is critical towards potential clinical translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharona L Rab
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Roee Admon
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
On the benefits and costs of extrinsic emotion regulation to the provider: Toward a neurobehavioral model. Cortex 2020; 130:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
22
|
Inagaki TK, Brietzke S, Meyer ML. The Resting Brain Sets Support-Giving in Motion: Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex Activity During Momentary Rest Primes Supportive Responding. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa081. [PMID: 34296139 PMCID: PMC8152835 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans give support, care, and assistance to others on a daily basis. However, the brain mechanisms that set such supportive behavior in motion are unknown. Based on previous findings demonstrating that activity in a portion of the brain’s default network—the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC)—during brief rest primes social thinking and behavior, momentary fluctuations in this brain region at rest may prime supportive responding. To test this hypothesis, 26 participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they alternated between deciding whether to give support to a close other in financial need, receive support for themselves, and make arbitrary decisions unrelated to support. Decisions were interleaved with brief periods of rest. Results showed that, within participants, spontaneous activity in the DMPFC during momentary periods of rest primed supportive-responding: greater activity in this region at the onset of a brief period of rest predicted, on a trial-by-trial basis, faster decisions to give support to the close other. Thus, activating the DMPFC as soon as our minds are free from external demands to attention may help individuals “default” to support-giving. Implications for understanding the prosocial functions of the resting brain are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tristen K Inagaki
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sasha Brietzke
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Meghan L Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Tabibnia G. An affective neuroscience model of boosting resilience in adults. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:321-350. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
24
|
Korisky A, Eisenberger NI, Nevat M, Weissman-Fogel I, Shamay-Tsoory SG. A dual-brain approach for understanding the neuralmechanisms that underlie the comforting effects of social touch. Cortex 2020; 127:333-346. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
|
25
|
Collier E, Meyer ML. Memory of Others' Disclosures Is Consolidated during Rest and Associated with Providing Support: Neural and Linguistic Evidence. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:1672-1687. [PMID: 32379001 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Social scientists have documented the power of being heard: Disclosing emotional experiences to others promotes mental and physical health. Yet, far less is known about how listeners digest the sensitive information people share with them. We combined brain imaging and text analysis methods with a naturalistic emotional disclosure paradigm to assess how listeners form memories of others' disclosures. Neural and linguistic evidence support the hypothesis that listeners consolidate memories for others' disclosures during rest after listening and that their ability to do so facilitates subsequently providing the speakers with support. In Study 1, brain imaging methods showed that functional connectivity between the dorsomedial subsystem of the default network and frontoparietal control network increased during rest after listening to others' disclosures and predicted subsequent memory for their experiences. Moreover, graph analytic methods demonstrated that the left anterior temporal lobe may function as a connector hub between these two networks when consolidating memory for disclosures. In Study 2, linguistic analyses revealed other-focused thought increased during rest after listening to others' disclosures and predicted not only memory for the information disclosed but also whether listeners supported the speakers the next day. Collectively, these findings point to the important role of memory consolidation during rest in helping listeners respond supportively to others' disclosures. In our increasingly busy lives, pausing to briefly rest may not only help us care for ourselves but also help us care for others.
Collapse
|
26
|
Making and Receiving Offers of Help on Social Media Following Disaster Predict Posttraumatic Growth but not Posttraumatic Stress. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2020; 15:484-490. [PMID: 32349839 PMCID: PMC8532121 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2020.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Social media provides an opportunity to engage in social contact and to give and receive help by means of online social networks. Social support following trauma exposure, even in a virtual community, may reduce feelings of helplessness and isolation, and, therefore, reduce posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS), and increase posttraumatic growth (PTG). The current study aimed to assess whether giving and/or receiving offers of help by means of social media following large community fires predicted PTS and/or PTG. Methods: A convenience sample of 212 adults living in communities that were affected by large-scale community fires in Israel (November 2016) completed questionnaires on giving and receiving offers of help by means of social media within 1 mo of the fire (W1), and the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and PTG questionnaire (PTGI-SF), 4 mo after the fire (W2). Results: Regression analyses showed that, after controlling for age, gender, and distance from fire, offering help by means of social media predicted higher PTG (β = 0.22; t = 3.18; P < 0.01), as did receiving offers of help by means of social media (β = 0.18; t = 2.64; P < 0.01). There were no significant associations between giving and/or receiving offers of help and PTS. Conclusions: Connecting people to social media networks may help in promoting posttraumatic growth, although might not impact on posttraumatic symptoms. This is one of the first studies to highlight empirically the advantages of social media in the aftermath of trauma exposure.
Collapse
|
27
|
An Embodied Neurocomputational Framework for Organically Integrating Biopsychosocial Processes: An Application to the Role of Social Support in Health and Disease. Psychosom Med 2020; 81:125-145. [PMID: 30520766 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Two distinct perspectives-typically referred to as the biopsychosocial and biomedical models-currently guide clinical practice. Although the role of psychosocial factors in contributing to physical and mental health outcomes is widely recognized, the biomedical model remains dominant. This is due in part to (a) the largely nonmechanistic focus of biopsychosocial research and (b) the lack of specificity it currently offers in guiding clinicians to focus on social, psychological, and/or biological factors in individual cases. In this article, our objective is to provide an evidence-based and theoretically sophisticated mechanistic model capable of organically integrating biopsychosocial processes. METHODS To construct this model, we provide a narrative review of recent advances in embodied cognition and predictive processing within computational neuroscience, which offer mechanisms for understanding individual differences in social perceptions, visceral responses, health-related behaviors, and their interactions. We also review current evidence for bidirectional influences between social support and health as a detailed illustration of the novel conceptual resources offered by our model. RESULTS When integrated, these advances highlight multiple mechanistic causal pathways between psychosocial and biological variables. CONCLUSIONS By highlighting these pathways, the resulting model has important implications motivating a more psychologically sophisticated, person-specific approach to future research and clinical application in the biopsychosocial domain. It also highlights the potential for quantitative computational modeling and the design of novel interventions. Finally, it should aid in guiding future research in a manner capable of addressing the current criticisms/limitations of the biopsychosocial model and may therefore represent an important step in bridging the gap between it and the biomedical perspective.
Collapse
|
28
|
Stress, dyadic coping, and relationship satisfaction: A longitudinal study disentangling timely stable from yearly fluctuations. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231133. [PMID: 32271854 PMCID: PMC7145192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The aims of the present study are to analyze the associations of different forms of dyadic coping (i.e., own supportive dyadic coping = OSDC; perceived supportive dyadic coping provided by the partner = PSDC; common dyadic coping = CDC) with relationship satisfaction, and to investigate whether these effects differ depending on the amount of perceived stress. In 240 couples, the different forms of dyadic coping and stress of both partners were assessed annually across 5 measurement points. Data was analyzed by dyadic multilevel models, which allow for disentangling between-person (overall, timely stable) from within-person (yearly, time specific) variations. The results revealed that all different forms of dyadic coping enhanced overall and yearly relationship satisfaction. At the same time, relationship satisfaction depends on the amount of overall and yearly stress. Interestingly, for PSDC, we found that the more a member of the couple was supported by the partner yearly (time-specific PSDC) and the more the member was stressed overall (timely stable), the higher the member scored on relationship satisfaction. For CDC, we found that yearly CDC beyond the overall level of CDC interacted with the timely stable amount of stress. Dealing together with stress and perceiving the partner as helpful were especially beneficial for relationship satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of addressing specific forms of dyadic coping in intervention and prevention programs for couples.
Collapse
|
29
|
Inagaki TK, Hazlett LI, Andreescu C. Opioids and social bonding: Effect of naltrexone on feelings of social connection and ventral striatum activity to close others. J Exp Psychol Gen 2020; 149:732-745. [PMID: 31414860 PMCID: PMC7021584 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Close social bonds are critical to immediate and long-term well-being. However, the neurochemical mechanisms by which we remain connected to our closest loved ones are not well understood. Opioids have long been theorized to contribute to social bonding via their actions on the brain. But feelings of social connection toward one's own close others and direct comparisons of ventral striatum (VS) activity in response to close others and strangers, a neural correlate of social bonding, have not been explored. Therefore, the current clinical trial examined whether opioids causally affect neural and experiential signatures of social bonding. Eighty participants were administered naltrexone (n = 40), an opioid antagonist that blocks natural opioid processing, or placebo (n = 40) before completing a functional MRI scan where they viewed images of their close others and individuals they had not seen before (i.e., strangers). Feelings of social connection to the close others and physical symptoms commonly experienced when taking naltrexone were also collected. In support of hypotheses, naltrexone (vs. placebo) reduced feelings of social connection toward the close others (e.g., family, friends, romantic partners). Furthermore, naltrexone (vs. placebo) reduced left VS activity in response to images of the same close others, but did not alter left VS activity to strangers. Finally, the positive correlation between feelings of connection and VS activity to close others present in the placebo condition was erased by naltrexone. Effects remained after adjusting for physical symptoms. Together, results lend support to theories suggesting that opioids contribute to social bonding, especially with our closest loved ones. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carmen Andreescu
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Feeling needed: Effects of a randomized generativity intervention on well-being and inflammation in older women. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 84:97-105. [PMID: 31759092 PMCID: PMC7010547 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Generativity, or concern for and contribution to the well-being of younger generations, plays an important role in successful aging. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel, writing-based intervention to increase feelings of generativity and test the effect of this intervention on well-being and inflammation in a sample of older women. Participants in this study (n = 73; mean age = 70.9 years, range 60-86 years) were randomly assigned to a 6-week generativity writing condition (writing about life experiences and sharing advice with others) or a control writing condition (neutral, descriptive writing). Self-reported measures of social well-being, mental health, and physical health, as well as objective measures of systemic and cellular levels of inflammation (plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α; genome-wide RNA transcriptional profiling), were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The generativity intervention led to significant improvements across multiple domains, including increases in participation in social activities, decreases in psychological distress, more positive expectations regarding aging in the physical health domain, and decreases in pro-inflammatory gene expression. Thus, this study provides preliminary evidence for the ability of a novel, low-cost, low-effort intervention to favorably impact inflammation and well-being in older women.
Collapse
|
31
|
Warth M, Stoffel M, Winter F, Jarczok MN, Aguilar-Raab C, Ditzen B. Instructed Partnership Appreciation in Depression: Effects on Mood, Momentary Relationship Satisfaction, and Psychobiological Arousal. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:701. [PMID: 32848903 PMCID: PMC7409945 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive disorders are associated with attentional bias and social anhedonia. There is evidence supporting the hypothesis that depressed individuals participate less in potentially rewarding social situations and exhibit alterations in stress reactivity. With the present study, we aimed at investigating the affective and psychobiological response of couples with a depressed (female) partner in an instructed partnership appreciation task (PAT) that included positive and appreciative communication. METHODS In a quasi-experimental repeated-measures design, depressive couples (DCs)-i.e., the female partner being diagnosed with a depressive disorder-were compared to non-depressive couples (NDCs). Study outcomes were the PAT-induced changes in state mood, momentary relationship satisfaction, salivary cortisol, and salivary alpha-amylase. Additionally, we assessed psychometric baseline data on depression, relationship quality, social support, and chronic stress. Data was analyzed using multilevel modeling. RESULTS A total of 184 individuals from N = 47 DCs and N = 45 NDCs were included. DCs were characterized by higher depressiveness, lower relationship quality, less actually received social support from the partner, and higher chronic stress than NDCs. Manipulation checks led to the additional exclusion of two couples. Regarding mood, depressed women showed lower baseline scores and no significant differences in mood increase compared to non-depressed women (p = 0.107). Increases in relationship satisfaction were significantly stronger in the depressed group (p = 0.035). In addition, we found a significantly stronger cortisol increase in depressed women, but only if relationship duration was taken into account as a moderating factor (p = 0.022). No significant group differences were found for women's amylase trajectories or for sex-dependent interaction effects on the couple level (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Instructed engagement in positive couple interaction may require high effort and increased psychobiological arousal, but may finally result in emotional and social benefits in depressed women. While these findings encourage speculations about the therapeutic application of instructed partnership appreciation, more research is needed on the effectiveness of such interventions and on the moderating role of relationship duration in depression and couple functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Warth
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Stoffel
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friederike Winter
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marc N Jarczok
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Corina Aguilar-Raab
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Liu Y, Zhang S, Tomata Y, Otsuka T, Nurrika D, Sugawara Y, Tsuji I. Emotional support (giving or receiving) and risk of incident dementia: The Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2019; 86:103964. [PMID: 31683175 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2019.103964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that emotional support may promote cognition; however, the effects of giving or receiving emotional support on incident dementia remain unclear. Therefore, we sought to investigate the relationship between emotional support (giving or receiving) and incident dementia. In December 2006, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 31,694 Japanese individuals aged ≥65 years who lived in Ohsaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. A self-reported questionnaire including items on emotional support and lifestyle factors was distributed. After excluding those who did not provide consent or responses to all items, 13,636 eligible responses were analyzed for this study. According to responses of "yes" or "no" for emotional support, we made two categories for both giving (gave or did not give) and receiving (received or did not receive) emotional support. Furthermore, we combined giving and receiving emotional support into four categories ("giving = no & receiving = no", "giving = no & receiving = yes", "giving = yes & receiving = no", "giving = yes & receiving = yes"). Data on incident dementia were retrieved from the Long-term Care Insurance Database in which participants were followed up for 5.7 years. Using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, we found that compared with participants who did not give emotional support to others, those who did give had a lower risk of dementia (multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52, 0.71)). However, a nonsignificant relationship was observed for receiving emotional support. Additionally, compared to "giving = no & receiving = no" for emotional support, "giving = no & receiving = yes" showed a higher risk of dementia (multivariate-adjusted HR: 1.51 [95% CI: 1.07, 2.14]).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingxu Liu
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Shu Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine.
| | - Yasutake Tomata
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Tatsui Otsuka
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Dieta Nurrika
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Yumi Sugawara
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Ichiro Tsuji
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Informatics and Public Health, Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ditzen B, Eckstein M, Fischer M, Aguilar-Raab C. Partnerschaft und Gesundheit. PSYCHOTHERAPEUT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00278-019-00379-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
34
|
Carbonneau N, Martos T, Sallay V, Rochette S, Koestner R. Examining the associations of autonomy and directive support given and received with relationship satisfaction in the context of goals that romantic partners have for one another. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-019-09792-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
35
|
Junod A, Opendak M, LeDoux JE, Sullivan RM. Development of Threat Expression Following Infant Maltreatment: Infant and Adult Enhancement but Adolescent Attenuation. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:130. [PMID: 31293397 PMCID: PMC6603125 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life maltreatment by the caregiver constitutes a major risk factor for the development of later-life psychopathologies, including fear-related pathologies. Here, we used an animal model of early life maltreatment induced by the Scarcity-Adversity Model of low bedding (LB) where the mother is given insufficient bedding for nest building while rat pups were postnatal days (PN) 8-12. To assess effects of maltreatment on the expression of threat-elicited defensive behaviors, animals underwent odor-shock threat conditioning at three developmental stages: late infancy (PN18), adolescence (PN45) or adulthood (>PN75) and tested the next day with odor only presentations (cue test). Results showed that in typically developing rats, the response to threat increases with maturation, although experience with maltreatment in early infancy produced enhanced responding to threat in infancy and adulthood, but a decrease in maltreated adolescents. To better understand the unique features of this decreased threat responding in adolescence, c-Fos expression was assessed within the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) associated with the cued expression of threat learning. Fos counts across amygdala subregions were lower in LB rats compared to controls, while enhanced c-Fos expression was observed in the vmPFC prelimbic cortex (PL). Correlational analysis between freezing behavior and Fos revealed freezing levels were correlated with CeA in controls, although more global correlations were detected in LB-reared rats, including the BA, LA, and CeA. Functional connectivity analysis between brain regions showed that LB reared rats exhibited more diffuse interconnectivity across amygdala subnuclei, compared the more heterogeneous patterns observed in controls. In addition, functional connectivity between the IL and LA switched from positive to negative in abused adolescents. Overall, these results suggest that in adolescence, the unique developmental decrease in fear expression following trauma is associated with distinct changes in regional function and long-range connectivity, reminiscent of pathological brain function. These results suggest that early life maltreatment from the caregiver perturbs the developmental trajectory of threat-elicited behavior. Indeed, it is possible that this form of trauma, where the infant's safety signal or "safe haven" (the caregiver) is actually the source of the threat, produces distinct outcomes across development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anouchka Junod
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joseph E. LeDoux
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Robinson-Drummer PA, Opendak M, Blomkvist A, Chan S, Tan S, Delmer C, Wood K, Sloan A, Jacobs L, Fine E, Chopra D, Sandler C, Kamenetzky G, Sullivan RM. Infant Trauma Alters Social Buffering of Threat Learning: Emerging Role of Prefrontal Cortex in Preadolescence. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:132. [PMID: 31293398 PMCID: PMC6598593 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the infant-caregiver attachment system, the primary caregiver holds potent reward value to the infant, exhibited by infants' strong preference for approach responses and proximity-seeking towards the mother. A less well-understood feature of the attachment figure is the caregiver's ability to reduce fear via social buffering, commonly associated with the notion of a "safe haven" in the developmental literature. Evidence suggests this infant system overlaps with the neural network supporting social buffering (attenuation) of fear in the adults of many species, a network known to involve the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, using odor-shock conditioning in young developing rats, we assessed when the infant system transitions to the adult-like PFC-dependent social buffering of threat system. Rat pups were odor-shock conditioned (0.55 mA-0.6 mA) at either postnatal day (PN18; dependent on mother) or 28 (newly independent, weaned at PN23). Within each age group, the mother was present or absent during conditioning, with PFC assessment following acquisition using 14C 2-DG autoradiography and cue testing the following day. Since the human literature suggests poor attachment attenuates the mother's ability to socially buffer the infants, half of the pups at each age were reared with an abusive mother from PN8-12. The results showed that for typical control rearing, the mother attenuated fear in both PN18 and PN28 pups, although the PFC [infralimbic (IL) and ventral prelimbic (vPL) cortices] was only engaged at PN28. Abuse rearing completely disrupted social buffering of pups by the mother at PN18. The results from PN28 pups showed that while the mother modulated learning in both control and abuse-reared pups, the behavioral and PFC effects were attenuated after maltreatment. Our data suggest that pups transition to the adult-like PFC social support circuit after independence from the mother (PN28), and this circuit remains functional after early-life trauma, although its effectiveness appears reduced. This is in sharp contrast to the effects of early life trauma during infancy, where social buffering of the infant is more robustly impacted. We suggest that the infant social buffering circuit is disengaged by early-life trauma, while the adolescent PFC-dependent social buffering circuit may use a safety signal with unreliable safety value.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrese A. Robinson-Drummer
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anna Blomkvist
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stephanie Chan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stephen Tan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cecilia Delmer
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kira Wood
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Aliza Sloan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Lily Jacobs
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eliana Fine
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Divija Chopra
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chaim Sandler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Giselle Kamenetzky
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A Lanari, IDIM-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150 (CP 1427), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Neurobiology of maternal regulation of infant fear: the role of mesolimbic dopamine and its disruption by maltreatment. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1247-1257. [PMID: 30758321 PMCID: PMC6784970 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0340-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Child development research highlights caregiver regulation of infant physiology and behavior as a key feature of early life attachment, although mechanisms for maternal control of infant neural circuits remain elusive. Here we explored the neurobiology of maternal regulation of infant fear using neural network and molecular levels of analysis in a rodent model. Previous research has shown maternal suppression of amygdala-dependent fear learning during a sensitive period. Here we characterize changes in neural networks engaged during maternal regulation and the transition to infant self-regulation. Metabolic mapping of 2-deoxyglucose uptake during odor-shock conditioning in postnatal day (PN)14 rat pups showed that maternal presence blocked fear learning, disengaged mesolimbic circuitry, basolateral amygdala (BLA), and plasticity-related AMPA receptor subunit trafficking. At PN18, when maternal presence only socially buffers threat learning (similar to social modulation in adults), maternal presence failed to disengage the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, and failed to disengage both the BLA and plasticity-related AMPA receptor subunit trafficking. Further, maternal presence failed to block threat learning at PN14 pups following abuse, and mesolimbic dopamine engagement and AMPA were not significantly altered by maternal presence-analogous to compromised maternal regulation of children in abusive relationships. Our results highlight three key features of maternal regulation: (1) maternal presence blocks fear learning and amygdala plasticity through age-dependent suppression of amygdala AMPA receptor subunit trafficking, (2) maternal presence suppresses engagement of brain regions within the mesolimbic dopamine circuit, and (3) early-life abuse compromises network and molecular biomarkers of maternal regulation, suggesting reduced social scaffolding of the brain.
Collapse
|
38
|
Inagaki TK, Hazlett LI, Andreescu C. Naltrexone alters responses to social and physical warmth: implications for social bonding. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:471-479. [PMID: 30976797 PMCID: PMC6545530 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Socially warm experiences, when one feels connected to others, have been linked with physical warmth. Opioids, hypothesized to support social bonding with close others and, separately, physical warmth, may underlie both experiences. In order to test this hypothesis, 80 participants were randomly assigned to the opioid antagonist, naltrexone or placebo before neural and emotional responses to social and physical warmth were collected. Social and physical warmth led to similar increases in ventral striatum (VS) and middle-insula (MI) activity. Further, feelings of social connection were positively related to neural activity to social warmth. However, naltrexone (vs placebo) disrupted these effects by (i) reducing VS and MI activity to social and physical warmth, (ii) erasing the subjective experience-brain association to social warmth and (iii) disrupting the neural overlap between social and physical warmth. Results provide additional support for the theory that social and physical warmth share neurobiological, opioid receptor-dependent mechanisms and suggest multiple routes by which social connections may be maintained.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tristen K Inagaki
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Laura I Hazlett
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carmen Andreescu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Laurita AC, Hazan C, Spreng RN. An attachment theoretical perspective for the neural representation of close others. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:237-251. [PMID: 30715524 PMCID: PMC6399606 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent investigations in neuroscience elucidate the neural basis of close other cognitive representations, which serve functions central to our health and happiness. Yet, there are persistent barriers to this research, including disparate research methods and the absence of a common theoretical background. The present review connects neuroimaging and attachment theory within a novel social, cognitive and affective framework. We apply attachment theory to understand why we would expect cognitive representations of close others to be different from other social neural representations. Developing reliable markers of attachment is a critical step in mapping close other neural representations. We then examine existing neuroimaging literature on close other representations, highlighting the recruitment of neural systems supporting reward, motivation and distress alleviation, in addition to the mirror neuron system, default network and salience network. We then review the methodologies of past studies, revealing a diverse array of self-report measures assessing `closeness' and social cognitive tasks that, taken together, preclude meaningful synthesis of findings. Lastly, we discuss specific behavioral measures of attachment and closeness with recommendations for the field. This attachment framework integrates brain and behavioral sciences and unites theoretical principles with empirical methods to further our understanding of how the brain represents close others.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne C Laurita
- Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Health Promotion & Prevention Services, University Health Services, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Cindy Hazan
- Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - R Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Helion C, Krueger SM, Ochsner KN. Emotion regulation across the life span. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 163:257-280. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-804281-6.00014-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
41
|
Meints SM, Edwards RR. Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:168-182. [PMID: 29408484 PMCID: PMC6067990 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The biopsychosocial model of pain dominates the scientific community's understanding of chronic pain. Indeed, the biopsychosocial approach describes pain and disability as a multidimensional, dynamic integration among physiological, psychological, and social factors that reciprocally influence one another. In this article, we review two categories of studies that evaluate the contributions of psychosocial factors to the experience of chronic pain. First, we consider general psychosocial variables including distress, trauma, and interpersonal factors. Additionally, we discuss pain-specific psychosocial variables including catastrophizing, expectations, and pain-related coping. Together, we present a diverse array of psychological, social, and contextual factors and highlight the need to consider their roles in the development, maintenance, and treatment of chronic pain conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S M Meints
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
| | - R R Edwards
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
As an intensely social species, humans demonstrate the propensity to contribute to other individuals and groups by providing support, resources, or helping to achieve a shared goal. Accumulating evidence suggests that contribution benefits the givers as well as the receivers. The need to contribute during adolescence, however, has been underappreciated compared with more individually focused psychological or social developmental needs. The need is particularly significant during the teenage years, when children's social world expands and they become increasingly capable of making contributions of consequence. Moreover, contribution can both promote and be a key element of traditionally conceived fundamental needs of the adolescent period such as autonomy, identity, and intimacy. The neural and biological foundations of the adolescent need to contribute, as well as the ways in which social environments meet that need, are discussed. A scientific and practical investment in contribution would synergize with other recent efforts to reframe thinking about the adolescent period, providing potential returns to the field as well as to youths and their communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Fuligni
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Dutcher JM, Creswell JD. The role of brain reward pathways in stress resilience and health. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 95:559-567. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
|
44
|
Neural Correlates of Giving Social Support: Differences Between Giving Targeted Versus Untargeted Support. Psychosom Med 2018; 80:724-732. [PMID: 30148747 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Giving support contributes to the link between social ties and health; however, the neural mechanisms are not known. Giving support in humans may rely on neural regions implicated in parental care in animals. The current studies, therefore, assess the contribution of parental care-related neural regions to giving support in humans and, as a further theoretical test, examine whether the benefits of giving targeted support to single, identifiable individuals in need extend to giving untargeted support to larger societal causes. METHODS For study 1 (n = 45, M (SD) age = 21.98 (3.29), 69% females), participants completed a giving support task, followed by an emotional faces task in the functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. For study 2 (n = 382, M (SD) age = 43.03 (7.28), 52% females), participants self-reported on their giving support behavior and completed an emotional faces task in the functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. RESULTS In study 1, giving targeted (versus untargeted) support resulted in greater feelings of social connection and support effectiveness. Furthermore, greater septal area activity, a region centrally involved in parental care in animals, to giving targeted support was associated with less right amygdala activity to an emotional faces task (r = -.297, 95% confidence interval = -.547 to -.043). Study 2 replicated and extended this association to show that self-reports of giving targeted support were associated with less amygdala activity to a different emotional faces task, even when adjusting for other social factors (r = -.105, 95% confidence interval = -.200 to -.011). Giving untargeted support was not related to amygdala activity in either study. CONCLUSIONS Results highlight the unique benefits of giving targeted support and elucidate neural pathways by which giving support may lead to health.
Collapse
|
45
|
Sherman LE, Hernandez LM, Greenfield PM, Dapretto M. What the brain 'Likes': neural correlates of providing feedback on social media. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:699-707. [PMID: 29982823 PMCID: PMC6121147 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence increasingly suggests that neural structures that respond to primary and secondary rewards are also implicated in the processing of social rewards. The 'Like'-a popular feature on social media-shares features with both monetary and social rewards as a means of feedback that shapes reinforcement learning. Despite the ubiquity of the Like, little is known about the neural correlates of providing this feedback to others. In this study, we mapped the neural correlates of providing Likes to others on social media. Fifty-eight adolescents and young adults completed a task in the MRI scanner designed to mimic the social photo-sharing app Instagram. We examined neural responses when participants provided positive feedback to others. The experience of providing Likes to others on social media related to activation in brain circuity implicated in reward, including the striatum and ventral tegmental area, regions also implicated in the experience of receiving Likes from others. Providing Likes was also associated with activation in brain regions involved in salience processing and executive function. We discuss the implications of these findings for our understanding of the neural processing of social rewards, as well as the neural processes underlying social media use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Sherman
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Bar-Kalifa E, Pshedetzky-Shochat R, Rafaeli E, Gleason MEJ. Daily Support Equity in Romantic Couples. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550617725150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Receiving support may yield negative outcomes, although these can be offset by reciprocating support. Here, we argue that support receipt and reciprocation should be considered with reference to two separate needs, for relatedness/communion and competence/agency, which underlie differential effects of equity on affective versus relational outcomes. To test these, we go beyond earlier studies by (a) examining equity along a (daily) continuum, (b) using the novel analytic approach of polynomial regression with response surface analyses, and (c) indexing equity from both monadic and dyadic perspectives. Using dyadic daily diaries ( NDays = 35, NCouples = 80), we found personal outcomes (positive affect [PA] and negative affect [NA]) to be worst on inequitable days, particularly overbenefit ones. In contrast, equity did not play the same role with regard to relational outcomes (closeness/satisfaction), for which overbenefit proved more positive. Interestingly, the monadic and dyadic perspectives converged more with personal than with relational outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eshkol Rafaeli
- Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Strik W, Stegmayer K, Walther S, Dierks T. Systems Neuroscience of Psychosis: Mapping Schizophrenia Symptoms onto Brain Systems. Neuropsychobiology 2018; 75:100-116. [PMID: 29258073 DOI: 10.1159/000485221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia research has been in a deadlock for many decades. Despite important advances in clinical treatment, there are still major concerns regarding long-term psychosocial reintegration and disease management, biological heterogeneity, unsatisfactory predictors of individual course and treatment strategies, and a confusing variety of controversial theories about its etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms. In the present perspective on schizophrenia research, we first discuss a methodological pitfall in contemporary schizophrenia research inherent in the attempt to link mental phenomena with the brain: we claim that the time-honored phenomenological method of defining mental symptoms should not be contaminated with the naturalistic approach of modern neuroscience. We then describe our Systems Neuroscience of Psychosis (SyNoPsis) project, which aims to overcome this intrinsic problem of psychiatric research. Considering schizophrenia primarily as a disorder of interindividual communication, we developed a neurobiologically informed semiotics of psychotic disorders, as well as an operational clinical rating scale. The novel psychopathology allows disentangling the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia into behavioral domains matching the functions of three well-described higher-order corticobasal brain systems involved in interindividual human communication, namely, the limbic, associative, and motor loops, including their corticocortical sensorimotor connections. The results of several empirical studies support the hypothesis that the proposed three-dimensional symptom structure, segregated into the affective, the language, and the motor domain, can be specifically mapped onto structural and functional abnormalities of the respective brain systems. New pathophysiological hypotheses derived from this brain system-oriented approach have helped to develop and improve novel treatment strategies with noninvasive brain stimulation and practicable clinical parameters. In clinical practice, the novel psychopathology allows confining the communication deficits of the individual patient, shifting attention from the symptoms to the intact resources. We have studied this approach and observed important advantages for therapeutic alliances, personalized treatment, and de-escalation strategies. Future studies will further conjoin clinical definitions of psychotic symptoms with brain structures and functions, and disentangle structural and functional deficit patterns within these systems to identify neurobiologically distinct subsyndromes. Neurobiologically homogeneous patient groups may provide new momentum for treatment research. Finally, lessons learned from schizophrenia research may contribute to developing a comprehensive perspective on human experience and behavior that integrates methodologically distinct, but internally consistent, insights from humanities and neuroscience.
Collapse
|
48
|
Spaans JP, Burke SM, Altikulaç S, Braams BR, Op de Macks ZA, Crone EA. Win for your kin: Neural responses to personal and vicarious rewards when mothers win for their adolescent children. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198663. [PMID: 29879189 PMCID: PMC5991740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mother-child relationships change considerably in adolescence, but it is not yet understood how mothers experience vicarious rewards for their adolescent children. In the current study, we investigated neural responses of twenty mothers winning and losing money for their best friend and for their adolescent child in a gambling task. During the task, functional neuroimaging data were acquired. We examined the activation patterns when playing for or winning for self, adolescent children and friends in four a-priori selected ROIs (nucleus accumbens, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus and temporo-parietal junction). Behaviorally, mothers indicated that they experienced most enjoyment when they gained money for their children and that their children deserved to win more, relative to friends and self. At the neural level, nucleus accumbens activity was stronger when winning versus losing. This pattern was not only found when playing for self, but also for friends and children, possibly reflecting the rewarding value of vicarious prosocial gains. In addition, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and temporo-parietal junction were more active when receiving outcomes for children and friends compared to self, possibly reflecting increased recruitment of mentalizing processes. Interestingly, activity in this network was stronger for mothers who indicated that their children and friends deserved to win more. These findings provide initial evidence that vicarious rewards for one’s children are processed similarly as rewards for self, and that activation in social brain regions are related to social closeness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jochem P. Spaans
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Sarah M. Burke
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sibel Altikulaç
- Department of Clinical Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara R. Braams
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Zdeňa A. Op de Macks
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Eveline A. Crone
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Orehek E, Forest AL, Barbaro N. A People-as-Means Approach to Interpersonal Relationships. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2018; 13:373-389. [PMID: 29641276 DOI: 10.1177/1745691617744522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Interpersonal relationships and goal pursuit are intimately interconnected. In the present article, we present a people-as-means perspective on relationships. According to this perspective, people serve as means to goals-helping other people to reach their goals in a variety of ways, such as by contributing their time; lending their knowledge, skills, and resources; and providing emotional support and encouragement. Because people serve as means to goals, we propose that considering relationship processes in terms of the principles of goal pursuit can provide novel and important insights into the ways that people think, feel, and behave in these interpersonal contexts. We describe the principles of means-goals relations, review evidence for each principle involving people as means, and discuss implications of our approach for relationship formation, maintenance, and dissolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward Orehek
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
The Role of Mesolimbic Circuitry in Buffering Election-Related Distress. J Neurosci 2018; 38:2887-2898. [PMID: 29431648 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2470-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2016 U.S. presidential election yielded distress among many individuals who identify with historically marginalized groups. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and psychological measures to test the hypotheses that neural response to reward, probing the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and social support would ameliorate the effects of election distress among those who felt negatively affected by the result. Within 4 months of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we tested human participants who felt affected by the election result (n = 40, Mage = 21.9 years, 28 female) and control participants (n = 20, Mage = 20.25 years, 12 female) who did not feel affected by the election result. Election-related distress significantly differed between the groups, and distress accounted for over half of the relationship between discrimination experiences and depression symptoms among affected individuals. NAcc activation, connectivity between the NAcc and mPFC, and family support moderated the associations between election distress and depression symptoms. Prior work has primarily investigated mesolimbic circuitry in reward and motivation contexts, but our findings extend the relevance of functioning in this circuitry to ameliorating psychological manifestations of acute distress after shifts in political climate. These findings highlight the psychological effects of this important historic event and identify neurobiological and social mechanisms associated with individual differences in response to election distress.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The 2016 U.S. presidential election was psychologically distressing for many individuals. In this study, election-related distress was linked to depression symptomology for affected individuals but not control individuals. However, among individuals distressed by the election, those with greater neural response to reward and higher family support were protected against these depressive symptoms. Previous research has examined how neural response to reward after a discrete event ameliorates clinical symptoms. The current study extends this knowledge by demonstrating that both the brain and social support may play influential roles in dampening affective responses to ongoing and anticipated distress related to political climate. Leveraging this finding to enact interventions that dampen continuous distress, political or otherwise, is a promising endeavor for future research.
Collapse
|