Interpersonal neural synchrony and mental disorders: unlocking potential pathways for clinical interventions

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Interpersonal synchronization (INS) is crucial for social interaction, empathy, and emotional regulation.
• Mental health disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are characterized by atypical social synchrony.
• While "second-person" neuroscience has advanced INS understanding, its therapeutic applications remain limited.

Approach:

• Systematic literature searches identified 12 publications on neurofeedback and 7 on brain stimulation targeting INS.
• A narrative review covered indirect INS manipulations via behavioral, biofeedback, or hormonal interventions.
• Acceptability of neurofeedback and neurostimulation in patients with social dysfunction was assessed.

Key Points:

• Behavioral interventions can increase INS, but long-term effects are unknown.
• Proof-of-concept studies show feasibility of brain stimulation and neurofeedback for boosting social synchrony.
• Optimal parameters for INS-based interventions and randomized controlled trials for ASD, RAD, and SAD are still lacking.

Conclusions:

• Translating INS manipulations into effective treatments for social interaction disorders requires further research.
• Future work should prioritize mechanistic insights, technological advancements, and rigorous study designs.
• Comparing direct INS interventions with other synchrony modalities and defining optimal clinical targets are essential.