An Empirical Review of the Neural Underpinnings of Receiving and Giving Social Support

Abstract

Decades of research have demonstrated strong links between social ties and health. Although considerable evidence has shown that social support can attenuate downstream physiological stress responses that are relevant to health, the neurocognitive mechanisms that translate perceptions of social ties into altered physiological responses are still not fully understood. This review integrates research from social and affective neuroscience to illuminate some of the neural mechanisms involved in social support processes, which may further our understanding of the ways in which social support influence health. This review focuses on two types of social support that have been shown to relate to health: receiving and giving social support. As the neural basis of receiving support, this article reviews the hypothesis that receiving support may benefit health through the activation of neural regions that respond to safety and inhibit threat-related neural and physiological responding. This article will then review neuroimaging studies in which subjects were primed with or received support during a negative experience as well as studies in which self-reports of perceived support were correlated with neural responses to a negative experience. As the neural basis of giving support, this article reviews the hypothesis that neural regions involved in maternal caregiving behavior may be critical for the health benefits of support-giving through the inhibition of threat-related neural and physiological responding. Neuroimaging studies in which subjects provided support to others or engaged in other related forms of prosocial behavior will then be reviewed. Implications of these findings for furthering our understanding of the relationships between social support and health are discussed.

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

“…And gray matter volume of the middle temporal gyrus and posterior PCC correlate with online social network size (Kanai et al, 2011) and perceived social support respectively (Che et al, 2014). Moreover, neural regions involved in processing social connection or social support are detected in vmPFC and PCC (Younger, Aron, Parke, Chatterjee, & Mackey, 2010; Eisenberger et al, 2011;Eisenberger, 2013aEisenberger, , 2013b. Besides, to investigate the neural conditions of prosocial thoughts and behavior, researchers show that activations in the mPFC recruited by social exclusion and empathy can predict prosocial thoughts and behavior (Mathur, Harada, Lipke, & Chiao, 2010;Masten, Morelli, & Eisenberger, 2011).…”

Disruption of social bonds induces behavioral and physiological dysregulation in male and female prairie voles

“…For instance, they help protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD), improve responses to depression, and facilitate adaptive stress coping reactions (Blazer, 1982; Cacioppo, & Cacioppo, 2012; Eisenberger, 2013; Frasure-Smith et al, 2000; Kikusui et al, 2006; Norman et al, 2013; Orth-Gomer et al, 1993). Frasure-Smith et al (2000) assessed baseline depression and social support in patients suffering from myocardial infarction, along with cardiac prognosis and changes in depression symptoms after the infarction.…”

How does social support enhance resilience in the trauma-exposed individual?

“…amygdala, dorsal anterior cingulate, insula, dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. Studies in humans have found exaggerated cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to stress among individuals with low social support compared to those with high social support (Southwick et al 2005, McEwen 2006), and Eisenberger (2013a reported that both the dorsal anterior cingulate and the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex are activated when humans are experiencing social rejection. Although the link between poor social support and poor health is complex, it is likely that chronic activation of neurobiological brain circuits and neuroendocrine systems that mediate responses to stress, threat, social isolation, and rejection have deleterious effects on cardiovascular, immune, and brain function.…”