scholarly journals Population variability in social brain morphology for social support, household size and friendship satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 635-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arezoo Taebi ◽  
Hannah Kiesow ◽  
Kai Vogeley ◽  
Leonhard Schilbach ◽  
Boris C Bernhardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Hierarchical Modeling ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Human Brains ◽  
Volume Effects

Abstract The social brain hypothesis proposes that the complexity of human brains has coevolved with increasing complexity of social interactions in primate societies. The present study explored the possible relationships between brain morphology and the richness of more intimate ‘inner’ and wider ‘outer’ social circles by integrating Bayesian hierarchical modeling with a large cohort sample from the UK Biobank resource (n = 10 000). In this way, we examined population volume effects in 36 regions of the ‘social brain’, ranging from lower sensory to higher associative cortices. We observed strong volume effects in the visual sensory network for the group of individuals with satisfying friendships. Further, the limbic network displayed several brain regions with substantial volume variations in individuals with a lack of social support. Our population neuroscience approach thus showed that distinct networks of the social brain show different patterns of volume variations linked to the examined social indices.

scholarly journals Dissecting the midlife crisis: disentangling social, personality and demographic determinants in social brain anatomy

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Kiesow ◽  
Lucina Q. Uddin ◽  
Boris C. Bernhardt ◽  
Joseph Kable ◽  
Danilo Bzdok
Keyword(s):  
Brain Regions ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Aging Parents ◽  
Health Satisfaction ◽  
Midlife Transitions ◽  
Fully Bayesian

AbstractIn any stage of life, humans crave connection with other people. In midlife, transitions in social networks can relate to new leadership roles at work or becoming a caregiver for aging parents. Previous neuroimaging studies have pinpointed the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to undergo structural remodelling during midlife. Social behavior, personality predisposition, and demographic profile all have intimate links to the mPFC according in largely disconnected literatures. Here, we explicitly estimated their unique associations with brain structure using a fully Bayesian framework. We weighed against each other a rich collection of 40 UK Biobank traits with their interindividual variation in social brain morphology in ~10,000 middle-aged participants. Household size and daily routines showed several of the largest effects in explaining variation in social brain regions. We also revealed male-biased effects in the dorsal mPFC and amygdala for job income, and a female-biased effect in the ventral mPFC for health satisfaction.

Sickness and the social brain: How the immune system regulates behavior across species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin A. Devlin ◽  
Caroline J. Smith ◽  
Staci D. Bilbo
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Behavior Changes ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Immune Mediators ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sickness Behaviors ◽  
The Brain

Many instances of sickness critically involve the immune system. The immune system talks to the brain in a bi-directional loop. This discourse affords the immune system immense control, such that it can influence behavior and optimize recovery from illness. These behavioral responses to infection are called sickness behaviors and can manifest in many ways, including changes in mood, motivation, or energy. Fascinatingly, most of these changes are conserved across species, and most organisms demonstrate some form of sickness behaviors. One of the most interesting sickness behaviors, and not immediately obvious, is altered sociability. Here, we discuss how the immune system impacts social behavior, by examining the brain regions and immune mediators involved in this process. We first outline how social behavior changes in response to infection in various species. Next, we explore which brain regions control social behavior and their evolutionary origins. Finally, we describe which immune mediators establish the link between illness and social behavior, in the context of both normal development and infection. Overall, we hope to make clear the striking similarities between the mechanisms that facilitate changes in sociability in derived and ancestral vertebrate, as well as invertebrate, species.

scholarly journals The social brain in female autism: a structural imaging study of twins

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-436
Author(s):  
Élodie Cauvet ◽  
Annelies van’t Westeinde ◽  
Roberto Toro ◽  
Ralf Kuja-Halkola ◽  
Janina Neufeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
The Social

Abstract A female advantage in social cognition (SoC) might contribute to women’s underrepresentation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The latter could be underpinned by sex differences in social brain structure. This study investigated the relationship between structural social brain networks and SoC in females and males in relation to ASD and autistic traits in twins. We used a co-twin design in 77 twin pairs (39 female) aged 12.5 to 31.0 years. Twin pairs were discordant or concordant for ASD or autistic traits, discordant or concordant for other neurodevelopmental disorders or concordant for neurotypical development. They underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and were assessed for SoC using the naturalistic Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition. Autistic traits predicted reduced SoC capacities predominantly in male twins, despite a comparable extent of autistic traits in each sex, although the association between SoC and autistic traits did not differ significantly between the sexes. Consistently, within-pair associations between SoC and social brain structure revealed that lower SoC ability was associated with increased cortical thickness of several brain regions, particularly in males. Our findings confirm the notion that sex differences in SoC in association with ASD are underpinned by sex differences in brain structure.

scholarly journals Distinct neural mechanisms of social orienting and mentalizing revealed by independent measures of neural and eye movement typicality

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Ramot ◽  
Catherine Walsh ◽  
Gabrielle E. Reimann ◽  
Alex Martin
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movement ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Extensive Study ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Social Orienting ◽  
The Social ◽  
Interacting Systems

AbstractExtensive study of typically developing individuals and those on the autism spectrum has identified a large number of brain regions associated with our ability to navigate the social world. Although it is widely appreciated that this so-called ‘social brain’ is composed of distinct, interacting systems, these component parts have yet to be clearly elucidated. Here we used measures of eye movement and neural typicality – based on the degree to which subjects deviated from the norm – while typically developing (N = 62) and individuals with autism (N = 36) watched a large battery of movies depicting social interactions. Our findings provide clear evidence for distinct, but overlapping, neural systems underpinning two major components of the ‘social brain’, social orienting and inferring the mental state of others.

scholarly journals I’m alone but not lonely. U-shaped pattern of perceived loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and Greece

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Carollo ◽  
Andrea Bizzego ◽  
Giulio Gabrieli ◽  
Keri Ka-Yee Wong ◽  
Adrian Raine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Statistical Validation ◽  
Support Strategies ◽  
The Social ◽  
Machine Learning Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Shaped Pattern

Many countries have adopted lengthy lockdown measures to mitigate the spreading of the COVID-19 virus. In this study, we train a RandomForest model using 10 variables quantifying individuals’ living environment, physical and mental health statuses to predict how long each of the UK participants (N=382) had been in lockdown. Self-perceived loneliness was found to be the most important variable predicting time in lockdown and, therefore, the aspect most influenced by the time the participant spent in lockdown. Subsequent statistical analysis showed a significant U-shaped curve for the levels of perceived loneliness (p<0.012), specifically decreasing during the 4th and 5th lockdown weeks. The same pattern was found on data from Greek citizens (N=129, p<0.041). These results suggest that lockdown measures may have affected how people evaluated their social support while in lockdown, leading to a decreased sense of loneliness. Implications of this study should be reflected on policies and countermeasures to current and future pandemics.State of relevanceThis study aims to inform policies for the current and/or future pandemics, particularly those involving lockdown restrictions. It highlights that self-perceived loneliness was the trait most affected by the time spent in lockdown: data show that the very first period of lockdown was characterised by a decrease in levels of perceived loneliness. The machine learning approach adopted and the statistical validation on two different Western European countries ensure that the uncovered pattern is substantial. This result highlights the dissociation between objective social support and perceived loneliness: initially, restrictions may have triggered better social behaviours among communities or increased the level of gratitude for the social support people have always received. The short duration of these desirable effects suggests that measures and campaigns promoting better social support strategies could be potentially effective, even in social isolation, to keep the levels of perceived loneliness low.

Social by Default: Characterizing the Social Functions of the Resting Brain

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan L. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Social Neuroscience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Default Network ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
The Social

Social-neuroscience research has identified a set of medial frontoparietal brain regions that reliably engage during social cognition. At the same time, cognitive-neuroscience research has shown that these regions comprise part of the default network, so named because they reliably activate during mental breaks by default. Although the anatomical similarity between the social brain and the default brain is well documented, why this overlap exists remains a mystery. Does the tendency to engage these regions by default during rest have particular social functions, and if so, what might these be? Here, it is suggested that the default network performs two critical social functions during rest: social priming and social consolidation. These constructs will be defined, recently published empirical findings that support them will be reviewed, and directions for future research on the topic will be proposed.

scholarly journals Social brain volume is associated with in-degree social network size among older adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1871) ◽  
pp. 20172708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyul Kwak ◽  
Won-tak Joo ◽  
Yoosik Youm ◽  
Jeanyung Chey
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Brain Volume ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Social Network Size ◽  
The Social ◽  
Brain Correlates

The social brain hypothesis proposes that large neocortex size evolved to support cognitively demanding social interactions. Accordingly, previous studies have observed that larger orbitofrontal and amygdala structures predict the size of an individual's social network. However, it remains uncertain how an individual's social connectedness reported by other people is associated with the social brain volume. In this study, we found that a greater in-degree network size, a measure of social ties identified by a subject's social connections rather than by the subject, significantly correlated with a larger regional volume of the orbitofrontal cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and lingual gyrus. By contrast, out-degree size, which is based on an individual's self-perceived connectedness, showed no associations. Meta-analytic reverse inference further revealed that regional volume pattern of in-degree size was specifically involved in social inference ability. These findings were possible because our dataset contained the social networks of an entire village, i.e. a global network. The results suggest that the in-degree aspect of social network size not only confirms the previously reported brain correlates of the social network but also shows an association in brain regions involved in the ability to infer other people's minds. This study provides insight into understanding how the social brain is uniquely associated with sociocentric measures derived from a global network.

scholarly journals Neuroimaging studies exploring the neural basis of social isolation

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niccolò Zovetti ◽  
Maria Gloria Rossetti ◽  
Cinzia Perlini ◽  
Paolo Brambilla ◽  
Marcella Bellani
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
Parietal Cortices ◽  
Posterior Superior Temporal Sulcus

Abstract 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.

Health and social care in an age of austerity

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles West
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

This chapter examines the impact of austerity policies on health, well-being and social care in the UK. In particular, it considers the health care provided by the National Health Service (NHS) and other health services, as well as the social care that is normally paid for, rather than the wider social support provided by family, friends, neighbours or colleagues. The discussion begins with an overview of the economic case for spending on health and social care, and more specifically the logic in pursuing spending policies that carry a high economic multiplier. The chapter then emphasises the duty of governments and those working in health care to achieve good value for the money spent, citing the case of the UK NHS. It also describes five principles underlying market competition in the context of health care before concluding with an analysis of social care services in the UK.

The Social Brain and the Distributed Mind

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Dunbar ◽  
Clive Gamble ◽  
John Gowlett
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Distributed System ◽  
Distributed Cognition ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Language Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Human Brains ◽  
Chimpanzee Lineage

Human nature is the product of a long history that has brought us, over the course of some 6–8 million years, from our common ancestor with the chimpanzee lineage to modern humans. The aim of this particular volume has been to bring together two powerful approaches that deal, respectively, with explanations of the evolution of human brains and understandings of cognition as a distributed system, in order to illuminate the changes that took place during the later stages of human evolution. It aims to compare inter-disciplinary perspectives on these key issues across a range of disciplines. A particular focus is provided by consideration of the role that material culture plays as a scaffold for distributed cognition, and how almost 3 million years of artefact and tool use and manufacture provide the data for tracing key changes in areas such as language, technology, kinship, music, and social networks.

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