Brain activity mediates the relation between emotional but not instrumental support and trait loneliness

Yi, Yangyang; Li, Liman Man Wai; Yu, Xiaomei; Ma, Junji; Fan, Linlin; Dai, Zhengjia

doi:10.1093/scan/nsy067

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 92 publications

(97 reference statements)

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“…Covariates: age, gender, relationship status, and motion —Exploratory analysis —Did not completely examine the specificity of the predictive model Mwilambwe-Tshilobo et al USA [ 43 ] 942 healthy adults; Human Connectome Project 28.0 (3.5; 23–37) 54% Loneliness survey from the NIH Toolbox on Emotion: 51.0 (8.5) Loneliness associated with dense, lower modularity (increased integration) between default, frontoparietal, attention and perceptual networks. —Exploratory analysis Yi et al USA [ 40 ] 92 healthy adults; Human Connectome Project NS (22–35) 57% Loneliness survey from the NIH Toolbox on Emotion: 50.5 (8.6) Loneliness was positively related to the mean ALFF value within right ITG. The negative relation between emotional support and loneliness was explained by a decrease in the spontaneous neural activity within right ITG, but this pattern was not observed for instrumental support.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One investigation reported loneliness was explained equally well by whole brain static and dynamic functional connectivity, in contrast to traits like cognitive functioning, which were explained better by dynamic connectivity [ 42 ]. Another study found loneliness was linked to altered brain activity in right inferior temporal gyrus on MRI and that the neural activity mediated the relationship between loneliness and emotional support [ 40 ]. A longitudinal study reported that individuals with severe hearing impairment were lonelier and had a hypersensitive dopamine system in a SPECT scan pre- and post- amphetamine challenge, compared to people without hearing impairment [ 27 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neurobiology of loneliness: a systematic review

Lam

Murray

et al. 2021

Neuropsychopharmacol.

107

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Loneliness is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Deeper understanding of neurobiological mechanisms underlying loneliness is needed to identify potential intervention targets. We did not find any systematic review of neurobiology of loneliness. Using MEDLINE and PsycINFO online databases, we conducted a search for peer-reviewed publications examining loneliness and neurobiology. We identified 41 studies ( n = 16,771 participants) that had employed various methods including computer tomography (CT), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and post-mortem brain tissue RNA analysis or pathological analysis. Our synthesis of the published findings shows abnormal structure (gray matter volume or white matter integrity) and/or activity (response to pleasant versus stressful images in social versus nonsocial contexts) in the prefrontal cortex (especially medial and dorsolateral), insula (particularly anterior), amygdala, hippocampus, and posterior superior temporal cortex. The findings related to ventral striatum and cerebellum were mixed. fMRI studies reported links between loneliness and differential activation of attentional networks, visual networks, and default mode network. Loneliness was also related to biological markers associated with Alzheimer’s disease (e.g., amyloid and tau burden). Although the published investigations have limitations, this review suggests relationships of loneliness with altered structure and function in specific brain regions and networks. We found a notable overlap in the regions involved in loneliness and compassion, the two personality traits that are inversely correlated in previous studies. We have offered recommendations for future research studies of neurobiology of loneliness.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurobiology of loneliness: a systematic review

Lam

Murray

et al. 2021

Neuropsychopharmacol.

107

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Whilst someone with state loneliness may desire social relations, an individual with trait loneliness may be warier. Although factors within state and trait loneliness do not always strongly correlate (Yi et al, 2018), those with high levels of trait loneliness also report high levels of state loneliness (van Roekel et al, 2018). Therefore, whilst the types of loneliness are discrete, they may converge.…”

Section: Subdivision Two: State (Or Situational) and Trait (Or Chronic) Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness, older people and a proposed social work response

Hagan

2020

Journal of Social Work

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Summary This article is based upon a scoping review of literature about older people and loneliness. Findings Increasingly in the UK, older people’s experience of loneliness is conceptualised as a public health concern. Social workers will wish to respond appropriately to older adults reporting loneliness but may react on the basis of keenly held assumptions about loneliness in later life, with scant regard to distinct subcategorisation of the construct. Exploring what an appropriate social work response may be, this article first sets out four misconceptions related to older people’s loneliness: that older people are especially lonely, loneliness correlates with living alone, strengthening family networks is best for alleviating loneliness, and loneliness interventions should tackle the issue directly. Applications A proposed model is introduced regarding social work intervention, focusing upon direct assessment of needs, the maintenance of meaningful existing relationships and, if required, potential introduction of new social support avenues. Additionally, it is recognised that a separate response to long-term chronic loneliness may involve psychological work addressing cognition.

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“…Other studies examined the BOLD activity of the brain at rest through resting-state functional MRI and showed that social isolation and perceived loneliness were associated with increased activity in the right central operculum, right supramarginal gyrus and between default, frontoparietal, attention and perceptual networks (Layden et al ., 2017 ; Mwilambwe-Tshilobo et al ., 2019 ). Two studies found that higher loneliness scores were associated with (i) decreased blood flow from the dorsal to the ventral attentional network, (ii) decreased flow from the affective to the visual network and (iii) low-frequency fluctuations of the activity in the inferior temporal gyrus (Tian et al ., 2017 ; Yi et al ., 2018 ). In line with these results, Feng et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroimaging studies exploring the neural basis of social isolation

Zovetti

Rossetti

Perlini

et al. 2021

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

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According to the social brain hypothesis, the human brain includes a network designed for the processing of social information. This network includes several brain regions that elaborate social cues, interactions and contexts, i.e. prefrontal paracingulate and parietal cortices, amygdala, temporal lobes and the posterior superior temporal sulcus. While current literature suggests the importance of this network from both a psychological and evolutionary perspective, little is known about its neurobiological bases. Specifically, only a paucity of studies explored the neural underpinnings of constructs that are ascribed to the social brain network functioning, i.e. objective social isolation and perceived loneliness. As such, this review aimed to overview neuroimaging studies that investigated social isolation in healthy subjects. Social isolation correlated with both structural and functional alterations within the social brain network and in other regions that seem to support mentalising and social processes (i.e. hippocampus, insula, ventral striatum and cerebellum). However, results are mixed possibly due to the heterogeneity of methods and study design. Future neuroimaging studies with longitudinal designs are needed to measure the effect of social isolation in experimental v. control groups and to explore its relationship with perceived loneliness, ultimately helping to clarify the neural correlates of the social brain.

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Brain activity mediates the relation between emotional but not instrumental support and trait loneliness

Cited by 15 publications

References 92 publications

Neurobiology of loneliness: a systematic review

Neurobiology of loneliness: a systematic review

Loneliness, older people and a proposed social work response

Neuroimaging studies exploring the neural basis of social isolation

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