“One is the loneliest number …”
Hey everyone, Crystal here for DNews.
I don’t care how much Netflix and ice cream you consume, being alone for long periods
of time SUCKS.
It makes us sad, eats away at our self-esteem and our immune system, makes us more susceptible
to chronic diseases and may even shorten our lifespan.
But could loneliness actually be a good thing?
Loneliness is the emotional state that arises from perceived isolation.
Like Hunger, Thirst, and Pain, Loneliness is an “aversive cue:” a negative feeling
that we want to move away from.
Think of it as an evolutionary mechanism that says “hey, you’re in danger and friends
could help”.
Humans evolved to be social animals: groups provide protection and shared resources that
help us survive.
When it comes to gathering food, building shelters, and defending themselves, communities
of humans have a much better chance of survival than individuals do.
And so scientists say, we evolved a “need to belong”.
In fact, loneliness may have been so important for survival that we evolved a unique set
of neurons in our brains dedicated to it!
In a paper recently published in the journal Cell, neuroscientists at MIT identified a
region of the mouse brain that is uniquely responsive to isolation.
The researchers used a technique called optogenetics, in which light is used to activate or inhibit
selected groups of neurons in a modified rodent brain, to manipulate a cluster of Dopamine-sensitive
neurons in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus, (which is a region of the mouse’s brain that’s
been associated with depression).
For now let’s call this special set of cells “loneliness neurons”.
In the study, researchers introduced a lonely experimental mouse to a new mouse friend,
and observed a significant increase in activity of the “loneliness neurons”.
Then they gave the mouse a choice between spending time alone or with another mouse
and studied how optogenetic stimulation of the “loneliness neurons” influenced the
mouse’s choice.
Activation of the neurons caused the mouse to spend significantly more time with a mousy
companion then alone, indicating that when the neurons fire mice seek out social interaction.
But was the mouse’s choice motivated by positive reward or a negative experience?
To determine this, scientists let mice roam around in a box that contained two areas.
When the mouse spent time in one area, its “loneliness neurons” were stimulated,
while in the other area, they were not.
Interestingly, the mice avoided the stimulating area indicating that the activation didn’t
make them feel very good.
This observation lead researchers to suggest that activity in this brain region may be
connected to a loneliness-like state that motivates mice to seek out social contact
to feel better.
These finding reinforces the evolutionary view that loneliness is actually a good thing,
because it encourages us to seek social contact and in turn keeps us healthier and safer.
Even in just this study there is so much more to the story, and if the research is extrapolated
to humans it could not only help to explain motivations behind our own feelings and behavior
but also help us study what happens when those things go awry.
But before we all get too excited the neuroscientist in me must extend a note of caution: it’s
important to remember that human brains and mouse brains are similar in some ways, but
not the same and mice do not display identical social behaviors to humans.
But for now, since we can’t manipulate human brains the way we do with mice, we have to
make do with what we learn from rodents...and hope that somebody gave those lonely mice
a hug and some tiny ice cream and told them that they’re terrific and it’s all going
to be okay… you’ll find somebody who will love you for who.
you.
are.
and you’ll never be lonely again…sorry
Well, if I haven’t managed to convince you to stop staring at this screen and seek social
contact, check out this video by Laci on how loneliness can kill you:
What about you?
How do you deal with loneliness?
Subscribe to DNews and let us know in the comments down below.
See you next time!