Out of touch? How trauma shapes the experience of social touch – Neural and endocrine pathways

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 159, P. 105595 - 105595

Published: Feb. 17, 2024

Trauma can shape the way an individual experiences world and interacts with other people. Touch is a key component of social interactions, but surprisingly little known how trauma exposure influences processing touch. In this review, we examine possible neurobiological pathways through which influence touch lead to aversion avoidance in trauma-exposed individuals. Emerging evidence indicates that may affect sensory thresholds by modulating activity primary cortex posterior insula. Disturbances multisensory integration oxytocin reactivity combined diminished reward-related anxiolytic responses induce bias towards negative appraisal contexts. Furthermore, hippocampus deactivation during reflect dissociative state. These changes depend not only on type severity also features We hypothesise disrupted impair interactions confer elevated risk for future stress-related disorders.

Language: Английский

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Chronic Loneliness: Neurocognitive Mechanisms and Interventions

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 91(4), P. 227 - 237

Published: Jan. 1, 2022

Language: Английский

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Homeostatic Regulation of Energetic Arousal During Acute Social Isolation: Evidence From the Lab and the Field

Psychological Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 34(5), P. 537 - 551

Published: March 28, 2023

Recent evidence suggests that social contact is a basic need governed by homeostatic system. Little known, however, about how conditions of altered homeostasis affect human psychology and physiology. Here, we investigated the effects 8 hr isolation on psychological physiological variables compared this with food deprivation in lab experiment (N = 30 adult women). Social led to lowered self-reported energetic arousal heightened fatigue, comparable deprivation. To test whether these findings would extend real-life setting, conducted preregistered field study during COVID-19 lockdown 87 adults; 47 The drop after observed replicated for participants who lived alone or reported high sociability, suggesting energy could be part response lack contact.

Language: Английский

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Let me in: The neural correlates of inclusion motivation in loneliness

Journal of Affective Disorders, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 361, P. 399 - 408

Published: June 17, 2024

Language: Английский

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Loneliness and diurnal cortisol levels during COVID-19 lockdown: the roles of living situation, relationship status and relationship quality

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Sept. 5, 2022

Loneliness and social isolation have become increasing concerns during COVID-19 lockdown through neuroendocrine stress-reactions, physical mental health problems. We investigated living situation, relationship status quality as potential moderators for trait state loneliness salivary cortisol levels (hormonal stress-responses) in healthy adults the first Germany. N = 1242 participants (mean age 36.32, 78% female) filled out an online questionnaire on demographics, quality. Next, 247 32.6, 70% completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA), collecting twelve saliva samples 2 days simultaneously reporting their levels. Divorced/widowed showed highest loneliness, followed by singles partnerships. The latter displayed lower compared to singles. Relationship satisfaction significantly reduced with a partner those who were apart from reported similar alone. Living alone was associated higher Hierarchical linear models revealed significant cross-level interaction between predicting cortisol. results imply that widowhood, being single, low represent risk factors having buffers stress responses lockdown.

Language: Английский

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Cross-ancestry and sex-stratified genome-wide association analyses of amygdala and subnucleus volumes

Nature Genetics, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 17, 2025

Language: Английский

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Loneliness and social conformity: A predictive processing perspective

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 2, 2025

For social creatures like humans, loneliness-which is characterized by a perceived lack of meaningful relationships-can result in detrimental health outcomes, especially when experienced over an extended period time. One potential way to pursue rewarding connections could be conformity, the tendency align one's behavior and opinions those others. In this perspective article, we give broad overview common distinct neural mechanisms underlying loneliness involvement oxytocinergic system therein. Additionally, consider how can understood within predictive processing framework. Specifically, negative expectations related altered representations self others medial prefrontal cortex, whereas diminished bottom-up signals from insula may contribute reduced precision perception environment. This negatively skewed internal model perpetuate lead chronicity While acute isolation drive people toward reconnection increased chronic distrust avoidance, eventually resulting nonconformity. We suggest different mediating moderating factors that warrant further investigation future research.

Language: Английский

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The lonely brain: Aligning theories of loneliness with data from neuroimaging studies

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 8, 2025

Abstract Although loneliness is an unpleasant subjective experience associated with negative consequences, decades of research suggest accompanied by adaptive cognitive changes that promote self‐preservation and attempts for social reconnection. This review summarizes theoretical accounts elaborate how alters attention information processing, then reviews whether findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies align these hypothesized effects. We first examined the hypothesis should increase general to monitor potential environmental threats. Findings resting‐state suggested corresponds greater baseline activity in attention‐related regions. Next, we heightens sensitivity world protect against threats motivate Here, showed toward increased, whereas positive was stimulus dependent (e.g., strangers, close others). Finally, enhances mentalizing better predict situations. many support this hypothesis, here limited. However, do find lonely individuals show idiosyncratic processing self others. To conclude, lay out future directions addressing some shortcomings current fMRI loneliness, provide additional avenues expand our knowledge “lonely brain.”

Language: Английский

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Loneliness - not for the faint of heart? Effects of transient loneliness induction on neural and parasympathetic responses to affective stimuli

Social Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 14

Published: April 30, 2025

While loneliness has been associated with altered neural activity in social brain networks and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) response to stressors, it is still unclear whether these are related or parallel effects. Thus, the current study aimed examine relationship between parasympathetic responses stimuli by using an experimental induction of momentary loneliness. Sixty-three participants (18-35 y.o.) received manipulated feedback about their future relationships induce either (Future Alone, FA; n = 31) feelings belonging Belong, FB, 32) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging session concomitant HRV measurement during which affective pictures nonsocial content were presented. In line our previous research, decreased vagal flexibility more negative affect observed subjected induction. Furthermore, even though no significant between-group differences observed, vs temporoparietal junction was positively response, this stronger FA group. Taken together, results suggest that transient may disrupt adaptive responding environmental demands negatively impact brain-heart interactions.

Language: Английский

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Lonely in the Dark: Trauma Memory and Sex‐Specific Dysregulation of Amygdala Reactivity to Fear Signals

Advanced Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(15)

Published: March 27, 2022

Abstract Loneliness exacerbates psychological distress and increases the risk of psychopathology after trauma exposure. However, it is still unclear whether a lack social connectedness affects trauma‐related intrusions neural processing fear signals. Moreover, uncertain, loneliness plays different role in women men. A prestratification strategy used n = 47 ( 20 women) healthy lonely individuals 35 controls 18 are recruited. Participants exposed to an experimental evoked intrusive thoughts daily life monitored for three consecutive days. Functional magnetic resonance imaging assess habituation fearful faces learning (conditioning extinction) prior The results reveal significant interaction between sex such that associated with more men, but not women. similar pattern emerges at level, both reduced amygdala repeated hyperreactivity during conditioning signals findings indicate may confer vulnerability memories exposure men this phenotype relates altered limbic

Language: Английский

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