Staying Sane in an Insane World: The Challenge of Social Distancing
Mirlinda Ademi discusses the neuroscience behind isolation and loneliness "A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody... I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick." — Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought new experiences to most of us, introducing extreme changes to our work and social life. Despite social distancing measures being necessary to curb the transmission of COVID-19, the emotional distress caused by social deprivation during lockdown has been tough. Increased loneliness has been reported amongst adults, as virtual alternatives like Zoom or FaceTime are just not the same. Moreover, loneliness has been linked to depression, a health concern officially recognised by the World Health Organization. Poor living conditions and lack of social interaction are associated with poor physical and mental health and higher mortality rates. From an evolutionary perspective, seeking social connections is a deeply-ingrained instinct, essential for survival throughout the animal kingdom. Social contact is associated with an increased life span for various species, such as honeybees, mice, and macaques. When we feel lonely, many of us experience higher levels of anxiety and hypervigilance, a defence mechanism thought to have evolved as a response to potential threats. But why and how does loneliness have such an effect on the body? The Neuroscience Of Loneliness | The effect of loneliness on the brain is poorly understood from a neuroscientific perspective. Positive social interactions such as smiling faces have been shown to activate neural reward systems. Lack of social interaction, on the other hand, is believed to create a ‘craving for company’ response in the midbrain, comparable 8
Staying Sane in an Insane World
to hunger states that trigger the search for food. Several neurotransmitters — chemical messengers important for communication between neurons — including dopamine, oxytocin, and opioid circuits, are thought to underlie the motivation for social reward. A study led by a research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggested that a cluster of dopamine-related neurons found in the brainstem region, called the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), form part of a neural circuit representing the subjective experience of feeling lonely. The group showed that the DRN area was extremely sensitive to acute periods of social isolation just one day after mice were isolated from their cage companions. In the same study, the group used a technique called optogenetics to switch genetically modified neurons ‘on’ or ‘off’ using light. This increased or suppressed a loneliness-like state, respectively. Activation of DRN neurons increased social preference, making mice more sociable when re-introduced to peers. In primates, negative motivational states have been mainly observed in other areas of the brain, though the role of the DRN itself remains to be properly understood. The Stress of Social Isolation | While stress is fundamental to survival as it powers the ‘fight-or-flight’ response in dangerous situations, elevated levels of stress can be harmful to both the brain and the body. Stress causes the amygdala, the ‘fear centre’ of our brain, to contribute to the activation of our autonomic nervous system (ANS), alongside our central stress response system known as the
Michaelmas 2020
