Researchers say older adults who feel lonely are twice as likely to use opioids to control pain, and 2.5 times more likely to be prescribed anti-anxiety medications and sedatives than those who have a more socially active lifestyle.
Alterations in long-term social behavior and gene expression were observed in the offspring of mice exposed to pain-killing opioids during pregnancy.
Reducing sensitivity to physical pain resulted in a reduction of pain empathy toward others, a study found. The results suggest a possible neurobiological link between pain and empathy.
Researchers investigate mentalizing, or how we are able to understand what another person is thinking, and how this process differs from empathy.
A new study demonstrated dogs do not reciprocate food-giving, nor do they act more favorably toward a friendly human.
Mindful meditation causes those who consider themselves to be more "independent-minded" or egocentric to become less generous and more selfish, researchers report.
When a rat helps another within its social group, brain areas associated with reward and motivation become more active. This does not occur when a rat is faced with the prospect of helping another rat outside its social group. Researchers say the findings may provide a better understanding of similar social biases in humans.
Over 50% of people surveyed reporting they feel uneasy about returning to in-person interactions, regardless of vaccination status, following covid lockdowns. Researchers share their thoughts on how social isolation and resocialization could impact the brain.
Researchers identified the gut bacteria E. faecalis as a mediator of social behavior and corticosterone levels in mice.
Researchers explore why some people will ignore their personal beliefs and go along with the more extreme beliefs of a crowd. They report acting against personal beliefs and adopting a fused identity becomes an attractive solution, especially if the reward is great.
A new study reveals what goes on in the brain when a person embarks on a musical collaboration project.
Patients with schizophrenia, but not those with social anhedonia, exhibited deficits in real-life social network size. Those with schizophrenia and those with social anhedonia had reversals functional connectivity to one another. People with schizophrenia showed decreased segregation and functional connectivity in brain areas associated with social behaviors, while those with social anhedonia had an increase in connectivity and segregation.
