外刊阅读20241222｜孤独的人脑回路与众不同

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Two neuroimaging studies found that lonely individuals’ neural representations of well-known celebrities diverged from those typical for their group in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain. Lonelier individuals were also more likely to use unusual language when describing well-known celebrities and to describe them in ways that were not typical for their group. The research was published in Communications Psychology.

Loneliness is the subjective feeling of being socially isolated or lacking meaningful connections, regardless of actual social contact. It can arise from life transitions, such as moving, losing a loved one, or retiring, as well as from social rejection or a lack of supportive relationships.

Chronic loneliness is linked to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as well as physical health problems, including weakened immunity , cardiovascular disease, and an increased risk of mortality. Lonely individuals tend to experience lower self-esteem, heightened sensitivity to social rejection, and difficulty forming or maintaining relationships. They may also perceive social interactions more negatively, creating a cycle that reinforces their isolation. In older adults, loneliness is particularly concerning, as it is strongly associated with cognitive decline and dementia . In children and adolescents, it can hinder social development and academic performance.

Study author Timothy W. Broom and his colleagues hypothesized that lonely individuals form mental representations of contemporary culture that deviate from those generally accepted in their social environment. In other words, they think in unusual ways. Because of this, lonely individuals tend to perceive that their ideas are not shared by others, which is a defining feature of loneliness.

Research has shown that socially connected individuals (e.g., friends or romantic partners) tend to have similar neural responses to popular culture media. Building on this, the researchers hypothesized that lonely individuals would have neural responses to popular culture topics (e.g., celebrities) that differ from those of the majority in their group. Additionally, the way they speak about these topics would also be unusual. The researchers conducted two studies to explore these ideas.