Articles tagged with Social Neuroscience
Researchers at Linköping University discovered a biological mechanism that increases the strength of fear memories stored in the brain. This finding provides new knowledge on the mechanisms behind anxiety-related disorders and identifies shared mechanisms with alcohol dependence.
A study from MIT neuroscientists has identified a population of neurons in the visual cortex that respond to images of food. The researchers found four previously known populations and a fifth, more surprising population that appears to be selective for food images. This finding may reflect the special importance of food in human culture.
A new animal study finds that testosterone can foster friendly, prosocial behavior in males, in addition to aggression. The hormone appears to help animals rapidly pivot between prosocial and antisocial responses as the social world changes.
Researchers found that socially isolated bumblebees exhibited an increase in affiliative behavior, unlike expected aggression. The brain development of isolated bees showed similarities with group-reared bees, suggesting controlled chaos in the absence of social environment.
Administering oxytocin to central social network members spreads cooperation via increased punishment of uncooperative behavior, Li et al. found in a new study published in JNeurosci. Cooperation can conflict with individual goals, but oxytocin may have evolved humans' need for group living.
Researchers investigated how fruit flies respond to threats in groups, finding that higher threat levels trigger greater attention to social cues. The study suggests that attunement with other animals allows individuals to respond quickly and efficiently to threats.
A comprehensive online survey of people with multiple sclerosis found that improving social integration and reducing social isolation can promote and maintain health and wellbeing. The study suggests that these social factors significantly predict health and wellbeing, even when accounting for demographic factors.
A large-scale study has found that social isolation is directly associated with changes in brain structures involved in memory and learning, making it a clear risk factor for dementia. Socially isolated individuals have a 26% increased likelihood of developing dementia compared to those with regular social connections.
A study by Kyushu University has identified biomarkers in blood samples that distinguish healthy individuals from Hikikomori patients and predict the severity of the condition. Key findings include elevated ornithine levels, lower bilirubin levels, and higher long-chain acylcarnitine levels in patients.
A new MIT study finds that noradrenaline helps the brain learn from surprising outcomes by stimulating behavior that leads to a reward, particularly in uncertain situations. The researchers also discovered that noradrenaline promotes taking a chance on getting a reward, even when the outcome is unknown.
A study led by Tel Aviv University researchers reveals a common mechanism underlying genetic mutations associated with autism, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders. The discovery points to an experimental drug developed by the team as a potential treatment for these conditions.
Research suggests dopamine is involved in emotion recognition, particularly in low-dose individuals. Dopamine levels influence emotional perception, with lower levels improving emotional recognition while higher levels impairing it. This finding has implications for understanding social cognition impairments in neurological disorders.
A Synapsy study has identified a new neural pathway involved in social interaction, distinct from the traditional reward system. This discovery may hold key to understanding and treating autism spectrum disorders.
Studies of 54 'good sleepers' revealed that lower slow-wave activity over the right prefrontal cortex is linked to a greater propensity for risk. The findings suggest that targeted interventions could modulate slow waves to influence risk-taking behavior.
A study published by Boston University researchers reveals that social interactions can activate vivid memories and elicit emotional responses. The study found that animals' fear memories were enhanced by observing a stressed cage mate, but not by direct physical interaction.
A new study by EPFL researchers finds that stress during early adolescence leads to increased body fat and reduced sociability in males, but not females. The researchers identified a biological link between stress-induced fat gain and impaired brain function, specifically the NAD+/Sirtuin-1 pathway.
Researchers from RIKEN created Nikola, an android child that can convey six basic emotions through facial expressions. The study tested the quality of these expressions and found that humans can recognize them with varying accuracy.
Researchers found that loneliness is driven by different brain states than social anxiety, with distinct neural activity patterns. People with social anxiety showed increased amygdala activation and reduced nucleus accumbens activation, while those with high loneliness did not display these patterns.
Young children and babies use saliva sharing as a cue to determine strong relationships and mutual obligations. Research found that babies expect people who share saliva to offer help when distressed, suggesting a vital skill for learning social relationships.
Researchers at the University of Bern used brain stimulation to demonstrate that mentalizing with future climate change victims encourages sustainable behavior. The study found that stimulating an area of the brain involved in perspective-taking led to more sustainable decisions, suggesting potential benefits for climate communication.
Researchers discover flow results from modular brain networks, enabling high-control and effortless experiences. Flow requires balance between engagement and challenge, with brain regions densely connected but sparsely connected to other areas.
Researchers have identified significant neurological effects of social isolation on the brain, including altered neural circuits and increased risk for disease. Social isolation can cause permanent changes in behavior and lead to health issues like anxiety and depression.
A new Dartmouth study found that a neural code shared across brains is responsible for recognizing familiar faces, including social and personal information. The study used hyperalignment to align brain responses into a common space, revealing high decoding accuracy in areas outside of visual processing.
Researchers measured brain activity of freely interacting Egyptian fruit bats to understand how they process group communication. They found that 'friendlier' bats induced higher correlations across the brains of group members, suggesting a connection between social behavior and neural activity.
Researchers are using social neuroscience to study how individual brains synchronize during group interactions, revealing key findings on animal cognition and collective decision-making. This new approach has implications for understanding human social intelligence and the potential for virtual collective dynamics.
A Dartmouth study found that individuals who experienced higher levels of stress on a given day had lower social interaction the following day. The research used mobile phone sensing data from 99 undergraduate students and showed that stress predicted less social interaction, but not the other way around.
Researchers surveyed 4,324 people with Parkinson's and found that many are unaware of all seven compensation strategies, but most who tried them reported positive effects. The study suggests a 'one-size-fits-all' approach doesn't work, emphasizing the need for personalized education on available strategies.
A study published in Science Advances reveals a previously unknown mechanism behind compulsive alcohol use, which may be targeted by medication. A small group of nerve cells in the central amygdala promote alcohol use despite negative consequences.
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill found that first-year college students reported decreased alcohol use and binge drinking during the pandemic. Social factors such as social distancing and reduced social support were associated with these decreases, while stress-related factors played a lesser role for most students.
New research published in eNeuro found that premature babies' brain connections at birth can predict their future emotional and social development. The study discovered a link between the strength of the uncinate fasciculus, a white matter tract involved in emotional regulation, and emotion moderation skills in preschoolers.
Researchers at Brown University introduce 'dignity neuroscience,' arguing that universal rights are rooted in human brain science. The concept posits five core elements - agency, autonomy, and self-determination; freedom from want and fear; uniqueness; and unconditionality - which reflect fundamental features of the human brain.
Researchers at VCU found a clear preference for immediate revenge in six experiments with over 1,500 participants. Participants who ruminated on past provocations or had antagonistic traits showed a shift towards delayed-but-greater revenge.
A team of neuroscientists discovered five key brain functions that enable social connection through music, including empathy circuits, oxytocin secretion, and dopamine release. Music can strengthen cohesion and mutual trust between people by signaling shared values.
A study found that witnessing moral transgressions can inhibit tongue movements, similar to tasting something unpleasant. This reaction may reflect an avoidance-defensive mechanism, adapting as a response to shared moral norms.
Researchers used Facebook data to map participants' social connections and found that brain activity patterns reflected the distance between individuals, with closer people having similar patterns. Information about each connection's personality was encoded in the medial prefrontal cortex.
Researchers used LED lights to measure collective brain activities in a group of mice, finding that gamma bursts were reduced during social interactions. The findings suggest a 'social buffering effect,' where being together reduces stress and anxiety.
A recent study by Morgan Gianola and colleagues found that bilingual Hispanic/Latino participants experienced more intense pain when speaking the language of their stronger cultural identity. Physiological responses to pain also played a larger role in determining pain ratings among more Hispanic-oriented bilinguals.
Indiana University researchers will investigate the dynamic between social cognition, social networks and cognitive ability to slow down Alzheimer's progression. The study aims to determine causality and explore how much of the cognitive decline depends on social cognitive function or general cognitive function.
A team of researchers argues that social distancing is at odds with human nature, which naturally seeks social contact in times of danger. This contradiction poses a significant challenge to public health and policy-making.
A recent University of Miami study found that African Americans report greater pain in response to controlled pain stimulation and exhibit differences in brain responses to pain, which correlate with their personal histories of discrimination. These findings suggest a link between racial biases about pain and medical consequences.
A new study found substantial variation in how languages conceptualize emotions across thousands of languages, with patterns emerging from colexification. Language families in close geographic proximity share more similar views on emotion than distant ones, highlighting the importance of culture and common ancestry.
Research led by NC State University found that early life exposure to flame retardants increases anxiety and affects socioemotional behaviors in prairie voles. The study, published in Neurotoxicology and Teratology, highlights the potential risks of chemical flame retardants on neurological development and social behavior.
A pilot study by Kessler Foundation researchers found that children with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury have impaired social communication skills, leading to poorer social functioning. The study suggests the Social Communication Disorders Checklist (SCDC) has potential for screening children with TBI.
The study explores how behaviors like empathy and team flow are represented in the brain, shedding light on conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and social anxiety. Brain imaging reveals specific neural circuits involved in social behaviors, providing potential new avenues for researching these complex processes.
A study on a 9,000-year-old grave in southern Jordan provides new insights into emerging leadership in early farming communities. The authors propose that the presence of exotic items and proximity to other graves suggest a person who achieved individual prestige through trade networks while maintaining close status within the community.
A comic book by Ann E. Fink examines the bioethics of treating a torturer's PTSD, highlighting the importance of considering social dimensions of traumatic stress. The comic raises critical questions about the responsibilities of clinicians and researchers, as well as individual rights and collective social responsibilities.
A new study has identified a specific forebrain region linked to altered social interactions in an autism model. Restoring activity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) reversed social traits associated with autism. The research provides clues to the neural circuits underlying social deficits in autism spectrum disorder.
Research by Irene Perini at Linköping University found that adolescent girls who self-injure believe they receive more negative feedback than actuality, leading to lower liking for themselves and others. This bias affects their brain's salience network, particularly associated with emotions and reflection.
Studies using rodents demonstrate how sensory stimuli linked to social contacts modify neural connections involved in food choice, highlighting the importance of social transmission of food preferences. This mechanism may be deficient in individuals with autistic disorders, contributing to their social difficulties.
Researchers found that positive news about immigrants reduces prejudice, while negative reports increase it. Nouns also play a role in shaping opinions, with nouns used for ethnic descriptions leading to more pronounced prejudice than adjectives.
Researchers used brain scans to explore unconscious biases in movie watchers, finding that the brain is naturally biased towards people who are like us, but also against those who are different. The study suggests that our brains can be influenced by learned knowledge and external factors, changing how we perceive others.
The Charisma for Youth program has shown strong results in improving social skills in children with autism, ADHD, and self-worth challenges. The program involves virtual sessions that teach real-world social scenarios, resulting in improved ability to understand others' points of view, start conversations, recognize emotions, and build...
Researchers found that MDMA reopens a critical period in the brain, allowing mice to learn social reward behaviors at an earlier age. This effect lasted for up to two weeks and was linked to oxytocin signaling in the brain.
Researchers found that visual behavior follows evolutionary trends in complex societies and is influenced by cultural factors. The study uses eye-tracking to analyze the response of individuals to prehistoric ceramics, suggesting a close interaction between culture and brain plasticity.
A research study led by Georgia State University found that females are more sensitive to the rewarding actions of oxytocin (OT) than males in same-sex social interactions. The study also discovered an inverted U-shape relationship between OT, social reward, and neural activity among females.
The study found that MDMA increases activity in brain regions linked to social processing, particularly when interacting with trustworthy players. This suggests that MDMA may be a valuable tool in treating psychiatric conditions like PTSD by enhancing cooperation and rebuilding relationships.
A controlled laboratory study found that MDMA increased cooperation between individuals who had been betrayed, indicating the drug's potential as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The study also reported altered brain activity in regions involved in social information processing.
Studies in mice and marmosets reveal mechanisms underlying social learning and behavior, including neural circuits controlling vocalizations and aggression. The findings provide a clearer picture of the brain's social processing, paving the way for potential treatments for disorders such as autism spectrum disorder.
The practice of solitary confinement has been shown to alter brain structures and behaviors, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. As social isolation becomes a growing problem in the US, scientists and experts are exploring ways to mitigate its effects.
A new Caltech study finds that the brain's anterior cingulate cortex and striatum are involved in decision-making when faced with too many options, leading to a 'choice overload' effect. The ideal number of options is estimated to be between 8 and 15, depending on perceived reward and individual characteristics.