Age differences in functional brain networks associated with loneliness and empathy
Laetitia Mwilambwe-Tshilobo1, Roni Setton2, Danilo Bzdok1,3,4,5,6
1Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Network Neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
|July 3, 2023
Summary
Brain connectivity differs in older adults based on loneliness and empathy. Loneliness in older adults shows increased association network integration, unlike younger adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Gerontology
Background:
- Loneliness is linked to altered brain connectivity in younger and middle-aged adults.
- Understanding how sociality (loneliness, empathy) relates to brain function in older adults remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in the association between loneliness, empathic responding, and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the cerebral cortex.
- To compare how these social dimensions relate to brain network integration across younger and older adult age groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multivariate analyses of multi-echo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC).
- Analyzed self-report measures of loneliness and empathy in younger (mean age 22.6y) and older (mean age 69.0y) adult cohorts.
Main Results:
- Loneliness and empathy were inversely related in the combined sample.
- Loneliness in younger adults and empathy in both age groups correlated with increased visual network integration with association networks.
- Loneliness in older adults was associated with greater within- and between-network integration of association networks.
Conclusions:
- Brain systems associated with loneliness and empathy exhibit age-specific differences, particularly in late adulthood.
- The neurocognitive processes underlying social experiences like loneliness and empathy vary across the human lifespan, with distinct patterns emerging in older age.
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