Examining the causal effects of social exclusion on shame and dissociative detachment

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Dissociative detachment experiences (e.g., derealization, absorption) underpin much psychopathology and are often researched in relation to co-occurring affective states such as shame, the latter being known to occur in situations involving actual or perceived negative social evaluation. The association between shame and dissociative detachment may also be moderated by individual differences in people's need to belong. The goal of the present study was to experimentally investigate the effects of social exclusion on shame and dissociative detachment depending on perceivers' need to belong.

METHODS

After measuring individual differences in need to belong and shame proneness, the Cyberball paradigm was utilized to communicate either social inclusion or exclusion. Following Cyberball, a sample of 281 participants completed measures of state shame and state dissociation.

RESULTS

Social exclusion increased dissociative detachment, and these effects were mediated by increases in state shame. These effects were particularly evident among people with a high need to belong.

LIMITATIONS

Other individual differences such as rejection sensitivity may also moderate the relationship between exclusion and shame. While Cyberball can be used to investigate shame, it can only induce shame via social exclusion, whereas shame can also be elicited in other ways such as performance failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Social exclusion can elicit shame, which is most acutely felt by those with a strong need to belong, and this aversive experience appears to be managed by dissociative detachment.

A social cognition perspective on misophonia

Misophonia is commonly classified by intense emotional reactions to common everyday sounds. The condition has an impact both on the mental health of its sufferers and societally. As yet, formal models on the basis of misophonia are in their infancy. Based on developing behavioural and neuroscientific research we are gaining a growing understanding of the phenomenology and empirical findings in misophonia, such as the importance of context, types of coping strategies used and the activation of particular brain regions. In this article, we argue for a model of misophonia that includes not only the sound but also the context within which sound is perceived and the emotional reaction triggered. We review the current behavioural and neuroimaging literature, which lends support to this idea. Based on the current evidence, we propose that misophonia should be understood within the broader context of social perception and cognition, and not restricted within the narrow domain of being a disorder of auditory processing. We discuss the evidence in support of this hypothesis, as well as the implications for potential treatment approaches. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'.

Neural correlates of proactive avoidance deficits and alcohol use motives in problem drinking

Physical pain and negative emotions represent two distinct drinking motives that contribute to harmful alcohol use. Proactive avoidance, in contrast, can reduce consumption in response to these motives but appears to be impaired in those with problem drinking. Despite such evidence, proactive avoidance and its underlying neural deficits have not been assessed experimentally. How these deficits inter-relate with drinking motives to influence alcohol use also remains unclear. The current study leveraged neuroimaging data in forty-one problem and forty-one social drinkers who performed a probabilistic learning go/nogo task featuring proactive avoidance of painful outcomes. We identified the brain responses to proactive avoidance and contrasted the neural correlates of drinking to avoid negative emotions vs. physical pain. Behavioral results confirmed proactive avoidance deficits in problem drinking individuals' learning rate and performance accuracy, both which were associated with greater alcohol use. Imaging findings in the problem drinking group showed that negative emotions as a drinking motive predicted attenuated right anterior insula activation during proactive avoidance. In contrast, physical pain motive predicted reduced right putamen response. These regions' activations as well as functional connectivity with the somatomotor cortex also demonstrated a negative relationship with drinking severity and positive relationship with proactive avoidance performance. Path modeling further delineated the pathways through which physical pain and negative emotions influenced the neural and behavioral measures of proactive avoidance. Taken together, the current findings provide experimental evidence for proactive avoidance deficits in alcohol misuse and establish the link between their neural underpinnings and drinking behavior.

Cardiac cycle modulates social pain

Social pain is a painful feeling evoked by social rejection, exclusion, or the loss of other important people. Previous research suggests that physical pain is reduced by increased signals from baroreceptors that monitor blood pressure. This pre-registered study investigated whether social pain is attenuated by increased baroafferent signals, as observed in physical pain. Given that baroafferent signals increase during cardiac systole and decrease during diastole, we hypothesized that feelings of pain induced by social rejection would be lower when exclusion events are presented at the cardiac systole than when they are presented at the diastole. Participants completed the cyberball task, a computerized ball-tossing game involving two other players. In the rejection condition, the ball was rarely thrown to the participant, while the other players kept tossing it to each other. Throws between other players were defined as exclusion events and were presented either at the cardiac systole (a systole condition) or at the diastole (a diastole condition). We found that exclusion events evoked significantly less social pain in the systole condition than in the diastole condition. Furthermore, the effects of cardiac cycle were more pronounced in participants with higher heart rate variability than those with lower heart rate variability. Our results suggest that cardiac afferent signals contribute not only to physical pain but also to social pain.

Are Deaf College Students More Sensitive to Unfair Information? Evidence from an ERP Study

To better understand the individual differences in fairness, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the fairness characteristics of deaf college students through the ultimatum game task. Behaviorally, the significant main effect of the proposal type was found, which meant both deaf and hearing college students showed a lower acceptance rate for the more unfair proposal. Interestingly, we found a significant interaction between group and proposal type in the early stage (N1). Moreover, in the deaf college group, N1 (induced by moderately and very unfair proposals) was significantly larger than that of fair proposals. However, we found that deaf college students had smaller amplitudes on P2 and P3 than hearing college students. These results suggested that deaf college students might pursue more equity strongly so they are more sensitive to unfair information in the early stage. In a word, we should provide more fair allocations for deaf college students in our harmonious society.

The impact of parental acceptance and childhood maltreatment on mental health and physical pain in Burundian survivors of childhood sexual abuse

BACKGROUND

Parental support has been suggested to mitigate mental and physical consequences following childhood sexual abuse (CSA). However, many CSA survivors experience parental rejection post-CSA.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to understand the impact of abuse-specific parental acceptance on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical pain in Burundian CSA-survivors. We further assessed the significance of parental acceptance among known risk factors for predicting PTSD.

METHODS, PARTICIPANTS, AND SETTINGS

Participants (N = 131, 80.9 % female, mean age 16.21 years) were recruited via primary health care centers for survivors of sexual violence which survivors approached post-CSA. Survivors reported on PTSD symptoms, daytime/nighttime pain, and adverse childhood experiences in semi-structured interviews. Parental acceptance levels were categorized (acceptance, no acceptance, no contact) for mothers and fathers separately. Kruskal-Wallis tests assessed group differences. Conditional random forests (CRF) evaluated the significance of parental acceptance in predicting PTSD symptom severity.

RESULTS

No significant differences regarding PTSD symptoms and physical pain between levels of maternal acceptance were obtained. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences in PTSD symptom severity between paternal acceptance and no acceptance (d = 1.04) and paternal acceptance and no contact (d = 0.81). The CRF identified paternal acceptance as important variable for the prediction of PTSD symptom severity. Even though results were less conclusive, medium effect sizes hint at less pain perception within the paternal acceptance group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight paternal acceptance as a potential risk or protective factor regarding psychological and possibly physical well-being in the aftermath of CSA, even in the context of other known risk factors.

The Brain Salience Network at the Intersection of Pain and Substance use Disorders: Insights from Functional Neuroimaging Research

Purpose of Review

The brain's salience network (SN), primarily comprising the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex, plays a key role in detecting salient stimuli and processing physical and socioemotional pain (e.g., social rejection). Mounting evidence underscores an altered SN in the etiology and maintenance of substance use disorders (SUDs). This paper aims to synthesize recent functional neuroimaging research emphasizing the SN's involvement in SUDs and physical/socioemotional pain and explore the therapeutic prospects of targeting the SN for SUD treatment.

Recent Findings

The SN is repeatedly activated during the experience of both physical and socioemotional pain. Altered activation within the SN is associated with both SUDs and chronic pain conditions, characterized by aberrant activity and connectivity patterns as well as structural changes. Among individuals with SUDs, functional and structural alterations in the SN have been linked to abnormal salience attribution (e.g., heightened responsiveness to drug-related cues), impaired cognitive control (e.g., impulsivity), and compromised decision-making processes. The high prevalence of physical and socioemotional pain in the SUD population may further exacerbate SN alterations, thus contributing to hindered recovery progress and treatment failure. Interventions targeting the restoration of SN functioning, such as real-time functional MRI feedback, neuromodulation, and psychotherapeutic approaches, hold promise as innovative SUD treatments.

Summary

The review highlights the significance of alterations in the structure and function of the SN as potential mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of SUDs and physical/socioemotional pain. Future work that integrates neuroimaging with other research methodologies will provide novel insights into the mechanistic role of the SN in SUDs and inform the development of next-generation treatment modalities.

Behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion in women: the role of facial attractiveness and friendliness

The behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion were examined in women randomized to four conditions, varying in levels of attractiveness and friendliness. Informed by evolutionary theory, we predicted that being socially excluded by attractive unfriendly women would be more distressing than being excluded by unattractive women, irrespective of their friendliness level. Our results contradicted most of our predictions but provide important insights into women's responses to interpersonal conflict. Accounting for rejection sensitivity, P300 event-related potential amplitudes were largest when women were excluded by unattractive unfriendly women. This may be due to an expectancy violation or an annoyance with being excluded by women low on social desirability. An examination of anger rumination rates by condition suggests the latter. Only attractive women's attractiveness ratings were lowered in the unfriendly condition, indicating they were specifically punished for their exclusionary behavior. Women were more likely to select attractive women to compete against with one exception-they selected the Black attractive opponent less often than the White attractive opponent when presented as unfriendly. Finally, consistent with studies on retaliation in relation to social exclusion, women tended to rate competitors who rejected them as being more rude, more competitive, less attractive, less nice, and less happy than non-competitors. The ubiquity of social exclusion and its pointed emotional and physiological impact on women demands more research on this topic.

Early adolescent perceived friendship quality aids affective and neural responses to social inclusion and exclusion in young adults with and without adverse childhood experiences

Friendships increase mental wellbeing and resilient functioning in young people with childhood adversity (CA). However, the mechanisms of this relationship are unknown. We examined the relationship between perceived friendship quality at age 14 after the experience of CA and reduced affective and neural responses to social exclusion at age 24. Resilient functioning was quantified as psychosocial functioning relative to the degree of CA severity in 310 participants at age 24. From this cohort, 62 young people with and without CA underwent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to assess brain responses to social inclusion and exclusion. We observed that good friendship quality was significantly associated with better resilient functioning. Both friendship quality and resilient functioning were related to increased affective responses to social inclusion. We also found that friendship quality, but not resilient functioning, was associated with increased dorsomedial prefrontal cortex responses to peer exclusion. Our findings suggest that friendship quality in early adolescence may contribute to the evaluation of social inclusion by increasing affective sensitivity to positive social experiences and increased brain activity in regions involved in emotion regulation to negative social experiences. Future research is needed to clarify this relationship with resilient functioning in early adulthood.

Exploring potential neuroimaging biomarkers for the response to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in episodic migraine

BACKGROUND

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are considered first-line medications for acute migraine attacks. However, the response exhibits considerable variability among individuals. Thus, this study aimed to explore a machine learning model based on the percentage of amplitude oscillations (PerAF) and gray matter volume (GMV) to predict the response to NSAIDs in migraine treatment.

METHODS

Propensity score matching was adopted to match patients having migraine with response and nonresponse to NSAIDs, ensuring consistency in clinical characteristics and migraine-related features. Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging was employed to extract PerAF and GMV, followed by feature selection using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and recursive feature elimination algorithms. Multiple predictive models were constructed and the final model with the smallest predictive residuals was chosen. The model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROCAUC) curve, area under the precision-recall curve (PRAUC), balance accuracy (BACC), sensitivity, F1 score, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). External validation was performed using a public database. Then, correlation analysis was performed between the neuroimaging predictors and clinical features in migraine.

RESULTS

One hundred eighteen patients with migraine (59 responders and 59 non-responders) were enrolled. Six features (PerAF of left insula and left transverse temporal gyrus; and GMV of right superior frontal gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and left precuneus) were observed. The random forest model with the lowest predictive residuals was selected and model metrics (ROCAUC, PRAUC, BACC, sensitivity, F1 score, PPV, and NPV) in the training and testing groups were 0.982, 0.983, 0.927, 0.976, 0.930, 0.889, and 0.973; and 0.711, 0.648, 0.639, 0.667,0.649, 0.632, and 0.647, respectively. The model metrics of external validation were 0.631, 0.651, 0.611, 0.808, 0.656, 0.553, and 0.706. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between the GMV of the left precuneus and attack time in non-responders.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest the potential of multimodal neuroimaging features in predicting the efficacy of NSAIDs in migraine treatment and provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying migraine and its optimized treatment strategy.

Repetition suppression between monetary loss and social pain

The relationship between monetary loss and pain has been a recent research focus. Prior studies found similarities in the network representation patterns of monetary loss and pain, particularly social pain. However, the neural level evidence was lacking. To address this, we conducted an ERP experiment to investigate whether there is a repetitive suppression effect of monetary loss on the neural activity of social pain, aiming to understand if they engage overlapping neuronal populations. The results revealed that FRN amplitudes showed repetitive suppression effects of monetary loss on the neural activity of social pain. Our study suggests that monetary loss and social pain share common neural bases, indicating that they might involve shared neural modules related to cognitive conflict and affective appraisal.

The role of perceived social support from family, friends and significant others in the association between childhood maltreatment on sleep quality in adolescents: Evidence from a weekly diary study

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment is a common problem that can have lasting effects on the physical and mental health of adolescents who have experienced it, including sleep quality.

OBJECTIVE

This study will investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and sleep quality in adolescents using a weekly diary method.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

In this study, students from a middle school in central China were recruited as research subjects, and a total of 11 classes with 470 students were investigated.

METHODS

In order to fill in the gaps of previous studies, a weekly diary method was used to collect data. Subjects were required to complete three scales once a week for seven consecutive weeks, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale (PSQI).

RESULTS

Findings suggest that childhood maltreatment has a negative impact on adolescent's sleep quality at the weekly level (γ01c = -0.07, t = -5.71, p < .001) . The negative effect of childhood maltreatment on sleep quality was significantly reduced with the addition of perceived social support (γ01c' = -0.03, t = -2.83, p < .01). Notably, support from friends (γ01a*γ02b = -0.01) and significant others (γ01a*γ02b = -0.02) also played an important mediating role in child maltreatment and adolescent sleep quality, but family support remained the most important support in adolescents (γ01a*γ02b = -0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study has confirmed the negative correlation between childhood maltreatment and sleep quality in adolescents. Furthermore, it has clarified the mechanism of perceived social support and the separate mediating roles of perceived family support, perceived friend support, and perceived significant other support.

The Neurophysiology of Interoceptive Disruptions in Trauma-Exposed Populations

In the aftermath of psychological trauma, many individuals experience perturbations in interoception, a term that broadly references the ability to accurately detect body signals and integrate these signals with emotional states. These interoceptive disruptions can manifest in different ways, including blunting or amplification of sensitivity to internal physiological signals. In this chapter we review extant neurophysiological research on interoception in trauma-exposed populations, with a particular focus on the effects of chronic interpersonal trauma, such as childhood maltreatment and racial discrimination. We explore research that used different types of interoceptive assays, from self-report measures to electrophysiological and neuroimaging tools to characterize the disruptions in pain perception, interoceptive acuity, and physiological responses that may arise after a traumatic event. Finally, we discuss interventions that are designed to target interoceptive mechanisms, from exposure-based therapies to mindfulness-based practices, as well as future directions in trauma interoception research.

Psychometric properties and item response theory analysis of the Persian version of the social pain questionnaire

Introduction

Social pain is an emotional reaction which is triggered by social exclusion and has been extensively investigated in the literature. The Social Pain Questionnaire (SPQ) is a self-report instrument which is the only scale for measuring social pain as a dispositional factor. The current study aimed at examining the psychometric properties of the SPQ in an Iranian sample.

Materials and methods

A sample of participants (N = 400) was recruited in a cross-sectional validation study. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) as well as Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted. The Item Response Theory (IRT) model parameters were evaluated and item response category curves were presented. Convergent and divergent validities as well as the reliability (by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient) were also assessed.

Results

The SPQ's unidimensionality was affirmed (RMSEA = 0.078; CFI = 0.915; TLI = 0.99) and its internal consistency was robust (Cronbach's α = 0.94). The correlation between the SPQ and the following measures endorsed its divergent and convergent validity: Self-esteem (r = -0.424), Perceived Social Support (r = -0.161), and Interpersonal Sensitivity (r = 0.636). Finally, Item Response Theory Analysis emphasized the effectiveness of the SPQ items in discerning various levels of social pain. The theta level ranged between -1 and + 1.2 and the IRT-based marginal reliability was 0.92 for the total score.

Discussion

The Persian SPQ stands as a reliable and valid measure for evaluating social pain. This scale has the potential to stimulate further research in the field for both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Conclusion

By employing Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis, we have transcended the theoretical psychometric evaluation of the SPQ scale and demonstrated that SPQ is a unidimensional, valid and reliable measurement tool.

Pain, Conflicted Feelings About Work, and Sickness Absence: A Prospective Study of the Effects of Number of Pain Sites and Role Conflicts on Medically Certified Sickness Absence

We investigated associations between the number of pain sites (NPS) and role conflict with medically certified, pain-related sickness absence (SA) in employees of Norwegian enterprises (N = 5,654). Latent profile analyses identified exposure profiles based on 3 types of role conflict (work-role conflict, work-life conflict, and emotional dissonance). Multinomial logistic regressions estimated effects on absence (short-term absence of less than 56 days, long-term absence of more than 56 days) during 1 year after survey. Effects of the NPS on absence were compared across exposure profiles. Results suggested the NPS and all types of role conflict predicted absences separately. Mutually adjusted regressions revealed unique contributions of the NPS to the short-term and long-term absence (odds ratio [OR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18, 1.30 and OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.37, 1.66) and of work-role conflict to the short-term absence (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.03, 1.35). Latent profile analyses identified 4 exposure profiles ("1 unconflicted," "2 dissonant, otherwise medium," "3 conflicted, medium dissonance," "4 conflicted and dissonant"). Profiles 3 and 4 exhibited elevated risk of SA, with the strongest baseline-adjusted effects for profile 4 (short-term absence OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.40, 2.57, long-term absence OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.15, 3.31). Effects of the NPS on short-term absence were stronger for profile 4 versus profile 1 (OR 1.38 vs 1.24, P < .001). Our findings suggest that addressing role conflicts may prevent pain-related absence, possibly also for individuals already experiencing pain. PERSPECTIVE: This article elucidates the connections between role conflicts associated with work roles, the NPS, and SA due to pain. This should help organizations prevent pain-related absences from work and improve working conditions for workers who remain occupationally active in spite of pain problems.

Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral Pathways Linking Adversity and Discrimination to Daily Pain in African-American Adults

The tendency to ruminate, magnify, and experience helplessness in the face of pain - known as pain catastrophizing - is a strong predictor of pain outcomes and is associated with adversity. The ability to maintain functioning despite adversity - referred to as resilience - also influences pain outcomes. Understanding the extent to which pain catastrophizing and resilience influence relations between adversity and daily pain in healthy African-American adults could improve pain risk assessment and mitigate racial disparities in the transition from acute to chronic pain. This study included 160 African-American adults (98 women). Outcome measures included daily pain intensity (sensory, affective) and pain impact on daily function (pain interference). Adversity measures included childhood trauma exposure, family adversity, chronic burden from recent stressors, and ongoing perceived stress. A measure of lifetime racial discrimination was also included. Composite scores were created to capture early-life adversity (childhood trauma, family adversity) versus recent-life adversity (perceived stress, chronic burden). Increased pain catastrophizing was correlated with increased adversity (early and recent), racial discrimination, pain intensity, and pain interference. Decreased pain resilience was correlated with increased recent-life adversity (not early-life adversity or racial discrimination) and correlated with increased pain intensity (not pain-related interference). Bootstrapped multiple mediation models revealed that relationships between all adversity/discrimination and pain outcomes were mediated by pain catastrophizing. Pain resilience, however, was not a significant mediator in these models. These findings highlight opportunities for early interventions to reduce cognitive-affective-behavioral risk factors for persisting daily pain among African-American adults with greater adversity exposure by targeting pain catastrophizing.

'Making every contact count' with patients with musculoskeletal conditions: a qualitative exploration of acceptability to physiotherapists

AIM

To qualitatively explore physiotherapists' experiences and acceptability of implementing 'Making Every Contact Count Healthy Conversation Skills' (MECC HCS) in routine practice with patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

METHODS

This article reports the second phase of a mixed method, sequential explanatory study. Physiotherapists trained in and delivering MECC HCS in their practice were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. We hoped to develop a rich, in-depth understanding of their use and perceptions of the brief intervention and to contextualise findings from the first phase of the study. Qualitative data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

RESULTS

Physiotherapists valued MECC HCS as being integral to their practice, promoting a person-centred approach to supporting behaviour change and enhancing self-management in patients with MSK conditions and pain. It was believed that this brief intervention could reduce workload pressure for physiotherapists and have significant wider benefits for health services. Time limitations associated with appointments did, however, pose as a challenge to MECC HCS delivery, and it was felt that more organisational-level support was needed to sustain it.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support our quantitative data, collected in the first phase of this study. MECC HCS is a highly acceptable brief intervention that can be delivered in physiotherapy care to support behaviour change in patients with MSK conditions. Future roll-out may be optimised within organisations by providing regular refresher training and adopting a MECC champion.

The effect of methylphenidate on pain perception thresholds in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND

Pain perception is important in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since they are more likely to experience painful events due to increased accident rates. The aim of this study is to contribute to the literature concerning the relationship between ADHD diagnosis, methylphenidate (MPH) therapy, and pain thresholds, since findings regarding the change in pain perception in children with ADHD are scarce and inconsistent.

METHODS

Children aged 8-13 years constituted both the ADHD group (n = 82) and the healthy controls (n = 41). The ADHD group was divided into two subgroups, ADHD without MPH (not treated pharmacologically) and ADHD with MPH (treated pharmacologically for at least three-months). The Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form was employed to assess ADHD, a visual analog scale was applied to evaluate chronic pain severity, and a manual pressure algometer was used to assess pain thresholds.

RESULT

Children with ADHD had lower pain thresholds than the healthy controls (P < 0.05). However, lower regional pain thresholds were observed in the ADHD group without MPH compared to both the healthy control and ADHD with MPH groups. Although pain thresholds in the ADHD with MPH group were regionally lower than in the healthy controls, low pain thresholds were found in fewer regions compared to the ADHD without MPH group.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with ADHD are more sensitive to pain sensation, and MPH may help normalize these individuals' pain experiences by raising pain thresholds. Families and clinicians must be aware of situations that may cause pain in children with ADHD. In addition, these children's low threshold for pain may lead them to experience it more intensely.

Stressors and Pain across the Late-Life Span: Findings from Two Parent Longitudinal Studies of Aging and Health

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to determine associations between stressors and pain across the late-life span.

METHOD

Multilevel linear modeling was applied separately to harmonized repeated measures data from the Longitudinal Late-Life Health study (LLLH; n = 342; 13-year interval) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; n = 2959; 8-year interval).

RESULTS

In both the LLLH and HRS samples, independent of age, gender, and race, participants with higher average stressor levels experienced more numerous painful conditions and higher pain severity over the study intervals. In the HRS sample, they also experienced higher levels of pain interference. In general, participants' stressor levels did not influence rates of increase in their pain. Gender and race had few moderating effects on associations between stressors and pain.

DISCUSSION

Stressors and pain are associated across the late-life span. Future research should focus on the mediating mechanisms that account for this association and the moderating factors that affect its strength.

Words hurt: common and distinct neural substrates underlying nociceptive and semantic pain

Introduction

Recent studies have shown that processing semantic pain, such as words associated with physical pain, modulates pain perception and enhances activity in regions of the pain matrix. A direct comparison between activations due to noxious stimulation and processing of words conveying physical pain may clarify whether and to what extent the neural substrates of nociceptive pain are shared by semantic pain. Pain is triggered also by experiences of social exclusion, rejection or loss of significant others (the so-called social pain), therefore words expressing social pain may modulate pain perception similarly to what happens with words associated with physical pain. This event-related fMRI study aims to compare the brain activity related to perceiving nociceptive pain and that emerging from processing semantic pain, i.e., words related to either physical or social pain, in order to identify common and distinct neural substrates.

Methods

Thirty-four healthy women underwent two fMRI sessions each. In the Semantic session, participants were presented with positive words, negative pain-unrelated words, physical pain-related words, and social pain-related words. In the Nociceptive session, participants received cutaneous mechanical stimulations that could be either painful or not. During both sessions, participants were asked to rate the unpleasantness of each stimulus. Linguistic stimuli were also rated in terms of valence, arousal, pain relatedness, and pain intensity, immediately after the Semantic session.

Results

In the Nociceptive session, the 'nociceptive stimuli' vs. 'non-nociceptive stimuli' contrast revealed extensive activations in SI, SII, insula, cingulate cortex, thalamus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In the Semantic session, words associated with social pain, compared to negative pain-unrelated words, showed increased activity in most of the same areas, whereas words associated with physical pain, compared to negative pain-unrelated words, only activated the left supramarginal gyrus and partly the postcentral gyrus.

Discussion

Our results confirm that semantic pain partly shares the neural substrates of nociceptive pain. Specifically, social pain-related words activate a wide network of regions, mostly overlapping with those pertaining to the affective-motivational aspects of nociception, whereas physical pain-related words overlap with a small cluster including regions related to the sensory-discriminative aspects of nociception. However, most regions of overlap are differentially activated in different conditions.

Script-driven imagery of socially salient autobiographical memories in major depressive disorder

Cues of social rejection and affiliation represent proximal risk and protective factors in the onset and maintenance of depression. Such cues are thought to activate an evolutionarily primed neuro-cognitive alarm system, alerting the agent to the benefits of inclusion or the risk of social exclusion within social hierarchies focused on ensuring continued access to resources. In tandem, autobiographical memory is thought to be over-general and negatively biased in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) which can contribute to maintenance and relapse. How memories of social rejection and affiliation are experienced and processed in MDD remains unexplored. Eighteen participants with recurrent and chronic MDD and 18 never-depressed controls listened to and vividly revisited autobiographical social experiences in an ecologically valid script-driven imagery paradigm using naturalistic memory narratives in an fMRI paradigm. Memories of Social Inclusion and Social Rejection broadly activated a common network of regions including the bilateral insula, thalamus and pre/postcentral gyrus across both groups. However, having a diagnosis of MDD was associated with an increased activation of the right middle frontal gyrus irrespective of memory type. Changes in positive affect were associated with activity in the dorsal ACC in the MDD group and in the insular cortex of the Control group. Our findings add to the evidence for complex representations for both positive and negative social signals in MDD and suggest neural sensitivity in MDD towards any socially salient information as opposed to selective sensitivity towards negative social experiences.

Social activity diversity as a lifestyle factor to alleviate loneliness and chronic pain

OBJECTIVE

This study examined whether social activity diversity, a novel concept indicating an active social lifestyle, is associated with lower subsequent loneliness, and decreased loneliness is further associated with less chronic pain over time.

METHODS

2528 adults from the Midlife in the United States Study (Mage = 54 yrs) provided data at baseline (2004-2009) and 9 years later. Social activity diversity was operationalized by Shannon's entropy that captures the variety and evenness of engagement across 13 social activities (0-1). Participants reported feelings of loneliness (1-5), presence of any chronic pain (yes/no), the degree of chronic pain-related interference (0-10), and the number of chronic pain locations. Indirect associations of social activity diversity with chronic pain through loneliness were evaluated, adjusting for sociodemographics, living alone, and chronic conditions.

RESULTS

Higher social activity diversity at baseline (B = -0.21, 95%CI = [-0.41, -0.02]) and an increase in social activity diversity over time (B = -0.24, 95%CI = [-0.42, -0.06]) were associated with lower loneliness 9 years later. An increase in loneliness was associated with 24% higher risk of any chronic pain (95%CI = [1.11, 1.38]), greater chronic pain-related interference (B = 0.36, 95%CI = [0.14, 0.58]), and 17% increase in the number of chronic pain locations (95%CI = [1.10, 1.25]) at the follow-up, after controlling for corresponding chronic pain at baseline and covariates. Social activity diversity was not directly was associated with chronic pain, but there were indirect associations through its association with loneliness.

CONCLUSION

Diversity in social life may be associated with decreased loneliness, which in turn, may be associated with less chronic pain, two of the prevalent concerns in adulthood.

Allostatic-interoceptive anticipation of social rejection

Anticipating social stress evokes strong reactions in the organism, including interoceptive modulations. However, evidence for this claim comes from behavioral studies, often with inconsistent results, and relates almost solely to the reactive and recovery phase of social stress exposure. Here, we adopted an allostatic-interoceptive predictive coding framework to study interoceptive and exteroceptive anticipatory brain responses using a social rejection task. We analyzed the heart-evoked potential (HEP) and task-related oscillatory activity of 58 adolescents via scalp EEG, and 385 human intracranial recordings of three patients with intractable epilepsy. We found that anticipatory interoceptive signals increased in the face of unexpected social outcomes, reflected in larger negative HEP modulations. Such signals emerged from key brain allostatic-interoceptive network hubs, as shown by intracranial recordings. Exteroceptive signals were characterized by early activity between 1-15 Hz across conditions, and modulated by the probabilistic anticipation of reward-related outcomes, observed over distributed brain regions. Our findings suggest that the anticipation of a social outcome is characterized by allostatic-interoceptive modulations that prepare the organism for possible rejection. These results inform our understanding of interoceptive processing and constrain neurobiological models of social stress.

The role of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex on voluntary emotion regulation of social pain

The right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) is highly engaged in emotion regulation of social pain. However, there is still lack of both inhibition and excitement evidence to prove the causal relationship between this brain region and voluntary emotion regulation. This study used high-frequency (10 Hz) and low-frequency (1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to separately activate or inhibit the rVLPFC in two groups of participants. We recorded participants' emotion ratings as well as their social attitude and prosocial behaviors following emotion regulation. Also, we used eye tracker to record the changes of pupil diameter to measure emotional feelings objectively. A total of 108 healthy participants were randomly assigned to the activated, inhibitory or sham rTMS groups. They were required to accomplish three sequential tasks: the emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal) task, the favorability rating task, and the donation task. Results show that the rVLPFC-inhibitory group reported more negative emotions and showed larger pupil diameter while the rVLPFC-activated group showed less negative emotions and reduced pupil diameter during emotion regulation (both compared with the sham rTMS group). In addition, the activated group gave more positive social evaluation to peers and donated more money to a public welfare activity than the rVLPFC-inhibitory group, among which the change of social attitude was mediated by regulated emotion. Taken together, these findings reveal that the rVLPFC plays a causal role in voluntary emotion regulation of social pain and can be a potential brain target in treating deficits of emotion regulation in psychiatric disorders.

A Mixed-Methods Approach to Refining and Measuring the Construct of Positive Risk-Taking in Adolescence

Adolescence is a peak period for risk-taking, but research has largely overlooked positive manifestations of adolescent risk-taking due to ambiguity regarding operationalization and measurement of positive risk-taking. We address this limitation using a mixed-methods approach. We elicited free responses from contemporary college students (N = 74, Mage  = 20.1 years) describing a time they took a risk. Qualitative analysis informed the construction of a self-report positive risk-taking scale, which was administered to a population-based sample of adolescents (N = 1,249, Mage  = 16 years) for quantitative validation and examination of associations with normative and impulsive personality. Sensation seeking predicted negative and positive risk-taking, whereas extraversion and openness were predominantly related to positive risk-taking. Results provide promising evidence for a valid measure of adolescents' engagement in positive risks.

Social Isolation: A Narrative Review on the Dangerous Liaison between the Autonomic Nervous System and Inflammation

Social isolation and feelings of loneliness are related to higher mortality and morbidity. Evidence from studies conducted during space missions, in space analogs, and during the COVID-19 pandemic underline the possible role of the autonomic nervous system in mediating this relation. Indeed, the activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system enhances the cardiovascular response and activates the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes, which leads to a stimulation of inflammatory activation. This response is adaptive in the short term, in that it allows one to cope with a situation perceived as a threat, but in the long term it has detrimental effects on mental and physical health, leading to mood deflection and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as imbalances in immune system activation. The aim of this narrative review is to present the contributions from space studies and insights from the lockdown period on the relationship between social isolation and autonomic nervous system activation, focusing on cardiovascular impairment and immune imbalance. Knowing the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this relationship is important as it enables us to structure effective countermeasures for the new challenges that lie ahead: the lengthening of space missions and Mars exploration, the specter of future pandemics, and the aging of the population.

Does Level of Social Support During Rejection Affect Pain Sensitivity and Distress?

This study investigated whether level of social support would decrease emotional distress and physical pain sensitivity following rejection. Healthy undergraduate students received varying levels of social support from a close companion during the Partial Future Life Alone rejection paradigm. Participants also completed baseline and post-stressor measures of physical pain sensitivity as well as post-stressor measures of emotional distress. Results indicated that all levels of social support benefited rejected participants by either buffering and/or improving fundamental needs, mood, and pain to levels comparable to non-rejected participants; however, passive support resulted in the fewest beneficial outcomes. The current study provides preliminary evidence that even minimal levels of support during rejection benefits or at least neutralizes associated pain and distress outcomes.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: It's time to catch up to the science

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a complex medical condition associated with low dose chemical exposures. MCS is characterized by diverse features and common comorbidities, including fibromyalgia, cough hypersensitivity, asthma, and migraine, and stress/anxiety, with which the syndrome shares numerous neurobiological processes and altered functioning within diverse brain regions. Predictive factors linked to MCS comprise genetic influences, gene-environment interactions, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, cell dysfunction, and psychosocial influences. The development of MCS may be attributed to the sensitization of transient receptor potential (TRP) receptors, notably TRPV1 and TRPA1. Capsaicin inhalation challenge studies demonstrated that TRPV1 sensitization is manifested in MCS, and functional brain imaging studies revealed that TRPV1 and TRPA1 agonists promote brain-region specific neuronal variations. Unfortunately, MCS has often been inappropriately viewed as stemming exclusively from psychological disturbances, which has fostered patients being stigmatized and ostracized, and often being denied accommodation for their disability. Evidence-based education is essential to provide appropriate support and advocacy. Greater recognition of receptor-mediated biological mechanisms should be incorporated in laws, and regulation of environmental exposures.

Ordinary citizens are more severe towards verbal than nonverbal hate-motivated incidents with identical consequences

Do we judge hate incidents similarly when they are performed using words or bodily actions? Hate speech incidents are rarely reported by bystanders, and whether or how much they should be punished remains a matter of legal, theoretical and social disagreement. In a pre-registered study (N = 1309), participants read about verbal and nonverbal attacks stemming from identical hateful intent, which created the same consequences for the victims. We asked them how much punishment the perpetrator should receive, how likely they would be to denounce such an incident and how much harm they judged the victim suffered. The results contradicted our pre-registered hypotheses and the predictions of dual moral theories, which hold that intention and harmful consequences are the sole psychological determinants of punishment. Instead, participants consistently rated verbal hate attacks as more deserving of punishment, denunciation and being more harmful to the victim than nonverbal attacks. This difference is explained by the concept of action aversion, suggesting that lay observers have different intrinsic associations with interactions involving words compared to bodily actions, regardless of consequences. This explanation has implications for social psychology, moral theories, and legislative efforts to sanction hate speech, which are considered. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The Stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 29/06/2022. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Z86TV .

Mind the gender gap: The social neuroscience of belonging

Gender gaps persist in the 21st century, in many aspects of society and in many types of organisation. There are earnings gaps in almost all domains, reports of glass ceilings and the “missing middle” in business, finance, law and politics, and dramatic under-representation of women in many branches of science, even in the most “gender equal” countries. This is despite decades of effort to address them, including targeted legislation and many Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. Early essentialist, competence-based explanations for the existence of gender gaps have been largely discredited at the research level, although their persistence in the public consciousness and at the level of education and training can still negatively bias both individual self-belief and organisational processes. Contemporary essentialist explanations are now emerging, with claims that such gaps are the manifestations of the presence or absence of endogenous, brain-based characteristics underpinning career progression or career preferences. The focus remains on the individual as the source of gender imbalances. Less attention has been paid to the contextual aspects of organisations where gender gaps are evident, to inclusion (or the lack of it), or the availability of unbiased reward and progression pathways. Advances in 21st century social cognitive neuroscience are revealing the importance of external organisational processes as powerful brain-changing forces, with their potentially negative impact on self-belief and a sense of belonging. Key research is demonstrating the cortical and behavioural consequences of negative social experiences, with the activation of core inhibitory pathways associated with low self-esteem, lack of engagement, and eventual withdrawal. This paper will argue that reference to such research will provide better explanations for the persistence of gender gaps, and offer evidence-based insights into addressing gender gap issues. Importantly, this is not a rejection of an endogenous, brain-based explanation for gender gaps but the elaboration of a better-informed 21st century model, flagging up the need to take factors such as cultural stereotyping and organisational bias into account in any drive toward true gender equity, or genuinely levelled playing fields.

Cognitive Reappraisal Impairs Negative Affect Regulation in the Context of Social Rejection for Youth With Early-Stage Borderline Personality Disorder

Application of emotion regulation strategies might be susceptible to the context of social rejection for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study compared the ability of 27 outpatient youths (15-25 years old) with early-stage BPD and 37 healthy controls (HC) to apply expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal in standard and socially rejecting laboratory contexts. BPD youths were largely as able as HCs to regulate negative affect across instruction and contexts. However, cognitive reappraisal in the context of social rejection heightened BPD negative facial expression relative to HCs. Thus, while BPD emotion regulation ability was largely normative, cognitive reappraisal might be ineffective in the context of social rejection for this group, with social rejection acting as an accelerant that heightens the expression of negative affect. Given the common experience of perceived and actual social rejection for this group, clinicians should carefully consider treatments that include cognitive reappraisal strategies because they might be contraindicated.

Neural Correlates of Antisocial Behavior: The Victim’s Perspective

Antisocial behavior involves actions that disregard the basic rights of others and may represent a threat to the social system. The neural processes associated with being subject to antisocial behavior, including social victimization, are still unknown. In this study, we used a social interaction task during functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural bases of social victimization. Brain activation and functional connectivity (FC) were estimated and correlated with the Big 5 Questionnaire, Temperament Evaluation in Memphis, Pisa and San Diego (TEMPS-M), and a Questionnaire of Daily Frustration scores. During social victimization, the right occipital and temporal cortex showed increased activation. The temporal cortex also had reduced FC with homotopic areas. Compared to the prosocial interaction, social victimization showed hyperactivation of the dorsomedial and lateral prefrontal cortex, putamen, and thalamus and increased FC of the medial-frontal–striatal–thalamic areas with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, dorsal cingulate, and postcentral gyrus. Lastly, neuroticism, irritable temperament, and frustration scores were correlated with the magnitude of neural responses to social victimization. Our findings suggest that social victimization engages a set of regions associated with salience, emotional processing, and regulation, and these responses can be modulated by temperamental and personality traits.

Influence of Social Exclusion on Cool and Hot Inhibitory Control in Chinese College Students

Social exclusion can affect nearly every aspect of a person's mental health, both on an emotional and cognitive level. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether cool or hot inhibitory control capacity varied under social exclusion. More precisely, participants who had experienced and not experienced social exclusion were compared to explore the influence of social exclusion on cool and hot inhibitory controls. Social exclusion was induced through the use of a Cyberball game, and participants were divided into an exclusion group and an inclusion group. The number Stroop task and emotional face Stroop task were used to measure the cool and hot inhibitory control, respectively. In the cool Stroop task, participants had to refrain from reading printed digits to identify the number of items presented in the array. In the hot Stroop task, participants had to inhibit the meaning of the word to identify the emotion displayed on the face. Reaction time, accuracy, and Stroop interference were analyzed to compare the inhibitory control between the exclusion group and the inclusion group. The results showed an extension of the response time in the exclusion group compared to the inclusion group. We found a higher interference effect in the number of Stroop tasks in the exclusion group than that in the inclusion group, but it was not significant in the emotional face Stroop task. The results suggest that the cognitive and emotional basis of inhibitory control may differ during social exclusion. The present findings expand our understanding of how social exclusion affects cool and hot inhibitory controls and their internal psychological mechanism.

Emotion regulation and the salience network: a hypothetical integrative model of fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and other symptoms, and has a substantial socioeconomic impact. Current biomedical and psychosocial treatments are unsatisfactory for many patients, and treatment progress has been hindered by the lack of a clear understanding of the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia. We present here a model of fibromyalgia that integrates current psychosocial and neurophysiological observations. We propose that an imbalance in emotion regulation, reflected by an overactive 'threat' system and underactive 'soothing' system, might keep the 'salience network' (also known as the midcingulo-insular network) in continuous alert mode, and this hyperactivation, in conjunction with other mechanisms, contributes to fibromyalgia. This proposed integrative model, which we term the Fibromyalgia: Imbalance of Threat and Soothing Systems (FITSS) model, should be viewed as a working hypothesis with limited supporting evidence available. We hope, however, that this model will shed new light on existing psychosocial and biological observations, and inspire future research to address the many gaps in our knowledge about fibromyalgia, ultimately stimulating the development of novel therapeutic interventions.

Racial discrimination and its impact on mental health

There is evidence that racial discrimination at different levels has a major impact on mental health over the whole life span. It is related generally to poor health, with the relationship being particularly strong for mental health. All forms of structural, institutionalised, interpersonal and internalised racism as well as the cumulative impact of intersectional discrimination appear to be linked to mental health and well-being. Studies also show links between effects of racial discrimination and neurophysiology especially on the brain volume. All forms of racism need to be addressed in inter- and transdisciplinary ways in order to dismantle racial discrimination. This review provides an overview of these interconnections.

Association between loneliness and its components and cognitive function among older Chinese adults living in nursing homes: A mediation of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the associations between loneliness and its components and cognitive function among older Chinese adults living in nursing homes and to test whether depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances mediate these associations.

METHODS

The sample comprised 228 Chinese individuals aged ≥ 65 years living in nursing homes who were free of dementia and psychiatric or serious somatic diseases. Loneliness was evaluated using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Global cognitive function was assessed using the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between loneliness and its components and global cognitive function. A mediation analysis was used to test the potential mediating effects of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) age of the participants was 80.8 (6.3) years, and 58.3% were women. Compared with the lowest quartile of loneliness degree, the multivariable-adjusted beta coefficient (95% confidence interval [95% CI]) for the highest quartile was -1.32 (-2.61 to -0.02) (P for trend = 0.03). Loneliness components, personal feelings of isolation and the lack of relational connectedness but not the lack of collective connectedness, were also inversely associated with cognitive function. Significant indirect effects on cognitive function were observed for loneliness and its two components (personal feelings of isolation and the lack of relational connectedness) in mediating pathways via depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A higher degree of loneliness and its two components, personal feelings of isolation and the lack of relational connectedness, are associated with worse cognitive function among Chinese residents in nursing homes. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances may at least partially mediate these associations.

Racial discrimination associates with lower cingulate cortex thickness in trauma-exposed black women

Racial discrimination (RD) has been consistently linked to adverse brain health outcomes. These may be due in part to RD effects on neural networks involved with threat appraisal and regulation; RD has been linked to altered activity in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and structural decrements in the anterior cingulum bundle and hippocampus. In the present study, we examined associations of RD with cingulate, hippocampus and amygdala gray matter morphology in a sample of trauma-exposed Black women. Eighty-one Black women aged 19-62 years were recruited as part of an ongoing study of trauma. Participants completed assessments of RD, trauma exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and underwent T1-weighted anatomical imaging. Cortical thickness, surface area and gray matter volume were extracted from subregions of cingulate cortex, and gray matter volume was extracted from amygdala and hippocampus, and entered into partial correlation analyses that included RD and other socio-environmental variables. After correction for multiple comparisons and accounting for variance associated with other stressors and socio-environmental factors, participants with more RD exposure showed proportionally lower cortical thickness in the left rACC, caudal ACC, and posterior cingulate cortex (ps < = 0.01). These findings suggest that greater experiences of RD are linked to compromised cingulate gray matter thickness. In the context of earlier findings indicating that RD produces increased response in threat neurocircuitry, our data suggest that RD may increase vulnerability for brain health problems via cingulate cortex alterations. Further research is needed to elucidate biological mechanisms for these changes.

Neuroimaging of human and non-human animal emotion and affect in the context of social relationships

Long-term relationships are essential for the psychological wellbeing of humans and many animals. Positive emotions and affective experiences (e.g., romantic or platonic love) seem to be closely related to the creation and maintenance of social bonds. When relationships are threatened or terminated, other emotions generally considered to be negative can arise (e.g., jealousy or loneliness). Because humans and animals share (to varying degrees) common evolutionary histories, researchers have attempted to explain the evolution of affect and emotion through the comparative approach. Now brain imaging techniques allow the comparison of the neurobiological substrates of affective states and emotion in human and animal brains using a common methodology. Here, we review brain imaging studies that feature emotions characterized by the context of social bonding. We compare imaging findings associated with affective and emotional states elicited by similar social situations between humans and animal models. We also highlight the role of key neurohormones (i.e., oxytocin, vasopressin, and dopamine) that jointly support the occurrence of socially contextualized emotions and affect across species. In doing so, we seek to explore and clarify if and how humans and animals might similarly experience social emotion and affect in the context of social relationships.

Skin Tone and the Health Returns to Higher Status

This study addresses two questions. First, why do Black Americans exhibit worse health outcomes than White Americans even at higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES)? Second, are diminished health returns to higher status concentrated among Black Americans with darker skin color? Novel hypotheses are tested with biosocial panel data from Add Health, a nationally representative cohort of Black and White adolescents who have transitioned to adulthood. We find that White and light-skin Black respondents report improved health after achieving higher SES, on average, while their darker-skin Black peers report declining health. These patterns persist regardless of controls for adolescent health status and unmeasured between-person heterogeneity. Moreover, increased inflammation tied to unfair treatment and perceptions of lower status helps to account for patterns of diminished health returns for dark-skin Black groups. Our study is the first to document skin tone heterogeneity in diminished health returns and one of few studies to identify life course stress processes underlying such disparities. We consider additional processes that could be examined in future studies, as well as the broader health and policy implications of our findings.

The history of pain measurement in humans and animals

Pain needs to be measured in order to be studied and managed. Pain measurement strategies in both humans and non-human animals have varied widely over the years and continue to evolve. This review describes the historical development of human and animal algesiometry.

Afraid of Social Exclusion: Fear of Missing Out Predicts Cyberball-Induced Ostracism

Although social exclusion violates the basic needs of sense of control, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and belongingness, it is unknown if fear of missing out (FoMO) or attachment anxiety contributes to one’s sense of ostracism and each of these basic needs. We aimed to identify if baseline scores in attachment anxiety and/or FoMO predict how excluded an individual feels after playing an online ball-tossing game designed to include or exclude them and if these constructs tap into basic needs that ostracism has shown to threaten. A sample of 193 young adults participated in this online study. After completing measures of demographics, FoMO, and attachment anxiety, each participant played Cyberball, a virtual ball-tossing game. Under the guise of playing with two other human participants, this paradigm consists of pre-programmed conditions of either inclusion, which entails receiving 10 of the total 30 ball tosses, or exclusion, which consists of receiving the ball only twice at the beginning of the game. Participants then completed post-measures of state ostracism, basic needs, and attention checks and were debriefed regarding the nature of the Cyberball game. We found that FoMO, but not attachment anxiety, predicted how ostracized one felt. Likewise, FoMO was inversely related to control, belongingness, and meaningful existence. Attachment anxiety did not predict any of the basic needs examined in the study. We conclude FoMO may be less about the experience one misses out on and more about the fear of being excluded. Future research is needed to evaluate if people experience increases in state FoMO while excluded and if baseline mood influences our findings.

The influence of social signals on the self-experience of pain: A neuroimaging review

Researchers in cognitive neuroscience have investigated extensively how psychological factors shape the processing and perception of pain using behavioral, physiological, and neuroimaging methods. However, social influences of pain, an essential part of biopsychosocial pain models, have received relatively little attention. This is particularly true for the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social modulations on pain. Therefore, this review discusses the findings of recent neuroimaging studies measuring the effects of social manipulations on pain perception (e.g., verbal and non-verbal social signals, social interaction style, conformity, social support, and sociocultural mediators). Finally, a schematic summary of the different social modulatory themes is presented.

"Moving on Up? Neighborhood Status and Racism-Related Distress among Black Americans"

At all levels of socioeconomic status, Black Americans can expect to live shorter and sicker lives than their White counterparts. This study advances the perspective that anti-Black stigma from Whites precludes Blacks from reaping the full health rewards of higher status, particularly within the context of neighborhoods. To test this hypothesis, I merge census data with rich survey and biomarker data from the Nashville Stress and Health Study, a representative sample of Black and White adults from Davidson County, Tennessee (n = 1,252). Initially, I find that Blacks who reside in higher-status and mostly White communities exhibit lower levels of neuroendocrine stress hormones, relative to their peers living in disadvantaged Black neighborhoods. But Blacks in higher-status areas also report more perceived discrimination. In turn, perceived discrimination is associated with chronic bodily pain, as well as elevated stress hormones and blood pressure tied to high goal-striving stress, or fears of being blocked from reaching life goals. After accounting for racism-related stressors, Blacks exhibit comparable levels of physiological distress regardless of neighborhood context. The inverse is true for Whites, who report fewer stressors in higher-status neighborhoods, and less physiological distress than Blacks overall. Findings are discussed within the context of social evolutionary theories of the human brain and are dovetailed with broader racial health disparities in the United States.

The relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems: coping strategies and social support act as mediators

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment significantly increases the risk of developing mental health problems in adolescence and adulthood. The present study examines if coping strategies and social support mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems.

METHODS

Data analyzed were from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey Mental Health (CCHS-MH, N = 25,113), a national population survey. A structured diagnostic interview, the World Health Organization version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI), was used to assess mental health status. Multiple mediation analysis with structural equation modelling is used to test the mediating effects of coping skills and social support in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems.

RESULTS

Our findings demonstrate that both coping strategies and social support mediated the link between childhood maltreatment and major depressive episode (mediation proportion: 18.3%), generalized anxiety disorder (mediation proportion: 19.8%), and suicide ideation (mediation proportion: 15.9%). By and large, the study results showed that coping skills and social support had both direct and indirect effects on the studied mental health problems with coping skills having a stronger impact.

CONCLUSIONS

Personal resources play an important resilience role in the associations between maltreatment and mental disorders with positive coping strategies, an internal resource, having a stronger protective presence. This research reinforces the need for strengthening positive coping strategies as well as social support as preventive strategies to improve mental health for individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment.

Social exclusion modulates neural dynamics of monetary and social reward processing in young adult females

Evidence suggests that social exclusion increases one's sensitivity to monetary and social rewards. However, whether and how social exclusion modulates the neural dynamics of reward processing remains unknown. The current study aimed to address this gap by systematically investigating the differential influences of social exclusion on various stages of monetary and social reward processing. Forty-five female participants were recruited, and the Cyberball game was used to manipulate social exclusion. To disentangle the anticipatory and consummatory stages of monetary and social reward processing, we recorded event-related potentials during two incentive delay tasks, one with a monetary reward and one with a social reward. The results showed that during the anticipatory stage, a larger contingent negative variation was observed for the exclusion group than for the inclusion group, regardless of reward type. During the consummatory stage, although the reward-related positivity was larger in the exclusion group than in the inclusion group, this difference was only observed for the social, and not monetary, reward feedback. These findings advance our understanding of the relationship between social exclusion and reward processing and suggest that while social exclusion might exert comparable enhancement effect for monetary and social reward processing during the anticipatory stage, it exerts a specific enhancement effect for social reward processing during the consummatory stage.

Emotional maltreatment and neglect impact neural activation upon exclusion in early and mid-adolescence: An event-related fMRI study

Child maltreatment gives rise to atypical patterns of social functioning with peers which might be particularly pronounced in early adolescence when peer influence typically peaks. Yet, few neuroimaging studies in adolescents use peer interaction paradigms to parse neural correlates of distinct maltreatment exposures. This fMRI study examines effects of abuse, neglect, and emotional maltreatment (EM) among 98 youth (n = 58 maltreated; n = 40 matched controls) using an event-related Cyberball paradigm affording assessment of both social exclusion and inclusion across early and mid-adolescence (≤13.5 years, n = 50; >13.5 years, n = 48). Younger adolescents showed increased activation to social exclusion versus inclusion in regions implicated in mentalizing (e.g., superior temporal gyrus). Individual exposure-specific analyses suggested that neglect and EM coincided with less reduction of activation to social exclusion relative to inclusion in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/pre-supplementary motor area (dACC/pre-SMA) among younger versus older adolescents. Integrative follow-up analyses showed that EM accounted for this dACC/pre-SMA activation pattern over and above other exposures. Moreover, age-independent results within respective exposure groups revealed that greater magnitude of neglect predicted blunted exclusion-related activity in the parahippocampal gyrus, while EM predicted increased activation to social exclusion in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex.

The influence of EEG oscillations, heart rate variability changes, and personality on self-pain and empathy for pain under placebo analgesia

We induced placebo analgesia (PA), a phenomenon explicitly attenuating the self-pain feeling, to assess whether this resulted in reduced empathy pain when witnessing a confederate undergoing such pain experience. We recorded EEG and electrocardiogram during a painful Control and PA treatment in healthy adults who rated their experienced pain and empathy for pain. We derived HRV changes and, using wavelet analysis of non-phase-locked event-related EEG oscillations, EEG spectral power differences for self-pain and other-pain conditions. First-hand PA reduced self-pain and self-unpleasantness, whereas we observed only a slight decrease in other unpleasantness. We derived linear combinations of HRV and EEG band power changes significantly associated with self-pain and empathy for pain changes using PCAs. Lower Behavioral Inhibition System scores predicted self-pain reduction through the mediating effect of a relative HR-slowing and a decreased midline ϑ-band (4-8 Hz) power factor moderated by lower Fight-Flight-Freeze System trait scores. In the other-pain condition, we detected a direct positive influence of Total Empathic Ability on the other-pain decline with a mediating role of the midline β2-band (22-30 Hz) power reduction. These findings suggest that PA modulation of first-hand versus other pain relies on functionally different physiological processes involving different personality traits.

The causal role of the bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortices on emotion regulation of social feedback

The ventrolateral prefrontal cortices (VLPFC) are crucial regions involved in voluntary emotion regulation. However, the lateralization of the VLPFC in downregulating negative emotions remains unclear; and whether the causal role of the VLPFC is generalizable to upregulating positive emotions is unexplored. This study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to examine the causal relationship between the left/right VLPFC and social emotion reappraisal. One hundred and twenty participants were randomly assigned to either active (left and right VLPFC groups, n = 40/40) or sham (vertex, n = 40) TMS groups. Participants were instructed to passively receive social feedback or use reappraisal strategies to positively regulate their emotions. While the subjective emotional rating showed that the bilateral VLPFC facilitated the reappraisal success, the electrophysiological measure of the late positive potential (LPP) demonstrated a more critical role of the right VLPFC on social pain relief (decreased LPP amplitudes) and social reward magnification (enhanced LPP amplitudes). In addition, the influence of emotion regulation on social evaluation was found to be mediated by the memory of social feedback, indicating the importance of memory in social behavioral shaping. These findings suggest clinical protocols for the rehabilitation of emotion-regulatory function in patients with affective and social disorders.

A protective rung on the ladder? How past and current social status shaped changes in health during COVID-19

An emerging body of work has started to document population health consequences of the social and economic transformations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider an individual's relative social position in the stratification system-subjective social status (SSS)-and assess how past (childhood) and current SSS predict change in self-rated health during the pandemic. Using two waves of data from the Canadian Quality of Work and Economic Life Study, we follow respondents between the onset of lockdown measures in March and May of 2020 (N = 1886). Drawing from the life course perspective and stress process model, we find that lower current SSS predicts a greater likelihood of being in stable poor health and reporting declining health. Lower past SSS predicts a higher chance of being in stable poor health indirectly through current SSS. And lower cumulative SSS that sums both past and present SSS also predicts stable poor health, while perceived upward mobility over time is associated with stable good health. This robust relationship between SSS and health in such a short time period of two months at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic provides an important glimpse into the influence that SSS has on population health.