A neural signature of social support mitigates negative emotion

Abstract

Social support can mitigate the impact of distressing events. Such stress buffering elicits activity in many brain regions, but it remains unclear (1) whether this activity constitutes a stable brain signature of support, and (2) whether brain activity can predict buffering across people. Here, we developed a neural signature that predicted social buffering of negative emotion in response to real life stressors. During neuroimaging, participants (n=95) responded to stressful autobiographical memories either naturally, or by imagining a conversation with a peer. Using supervised dimensionality reduction and machine learning techniques, we identified a spatio-temporal neural signature that distinguished between these two trials. Activation of this signature was associated with less negative affect across trials, and people who most activated the signature reported more supportive social connections and lower loneliness outside the lab. Together, this work provides a behaviorally relevant neurophysiological marker for social support that underlies stress buffering.

Self-healing and healing of the body with the help of neural connections of the brain

“…In the study, the authors pointed to the importance of studying the issue of body regeneration of a person with diseases and pathologies. R. Pei et al (2) studied, during the research, the influence of sociological factors on the emotional state of a person. Properties of the brain to respond to negative external factors and remember specific actions, words, and sentences.…”