Individual Differences in Cerebral Perfusion as a Function of Age and Loneliness
Yen-Wen Chen1, Kenneth Wengler2,3, Xiang He4
1Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, NY, USA.
Experimental Aging Research
|May 26, 2021
Summary
Loneliness impacts brain activity differently in younger and older adults, even at similar loneliness levels. This study reveals age-related differences in regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) associated with social processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Loneliness, a subjective unmet social need, is linked to adverse health outcomes.
- Understanding the neural basis of loneliness is crucial for public health.
- Loneliness is experienced differently across the lifespan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in neural responses to loneliness.
- To examine regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in younger and older adults experiencing comparable loneliness.
Main Methods:
- Pulsed arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging was used to measure regional CBF.
- Forty-five older (mean age 63.4) and forty-four younger adults (mean age 20.9) with similar loneliness levels participated.
- Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis was conducted.
Main Results:
- A main effect of age was observed in the superior temporal and supramarginal gyri.
- No main effect of loneliness was found across all participants.
- The age effect on CBF was significant only in individuals with higher levels of loneliness.
- These brain regions are associated with social and attention functions.
Conclusions:
- Loneliness moderates the relationship between age and regional CBF.
- Younger and older adults exhibit distinct neural patterns in response to loneliness, even when loneliness levels are comparable.
- These findings highlight the nuanced neural manifestations of loneliness across the lifespan.
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