Loneliness exacerbates age differences in the -allostatic-interoceptive system during induced affect

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Psychology

Background:

• Loneliness is linked to age-related health declines via brain and body pathways.
• The allostatic interoceptive system (AIS) regulates bodily functions in response to social and emotional stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how loneliness interacts with age to affect the static and dynamic functional connectivity of the AIS.
• To examine brain responses during socially salient situations in relation to loneliness and aging.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used on 73 participants who reported their loneliness levels.
• Participants underwent fMRI during tasks involving neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant social conditions.
• Graph-theoretical metrics (participation coefficient and within-module degree) quantified AIS functional connectivity.

Main Results:

• Static AIS functional connectivity showed a positive association with age.
• High loneliness exacerbated age-related decreases in static AIS within-module degree during pleasant social conditions.
• Dynamic AIS connectivity metrics demonstrated steeper negative associations with age in lonelier individuals across pleasant and unpleasant conditions.

Conclusions:

• Loneliness may accelerate age-related alterations in brain systems crucial for physiological regulation.
• These findings highlight how social factors like loneliness can impact neurobiological aging processes.
• The study underscores the importance of the AIS in mediating the relationship between social experiences, aging, and health.