1
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Sullivan MD, Wilson L, Amick M, Miller-Matero LR, Chrusciel T, Salas J, Zabel C, Lustman PJ, Ahmedani B, Carpenter RW, Scherrer JF. Social support and the association between post-traumatic stress disorder and risk for long-term prescription opioid use. Pain 2024; 165:2379-2386. [PMID: 38833573 PMCID: PMC11408094 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in patients with chronic pain, adversely affects chronic pain outcomes, and is associated with opioid use and adverse opioid outcomes. Social support is a robust predictor of PTSD incidence and course as well as chronic pain outcome. We determined whether the association between PTSD and persistent opioid use was modified by emotional support in a cohort of patients receiving opioids for noncancer pain. Eligible participants were ≥18 years and had completed a new period of prescription opioid use lasting 30 to 90 days. Bivariate associations between cohort characteristics and each key variable was assessed using χ 2 tests for categorical variables and t -tests for continuous variables. Interaction between PTSD and emotional support was assessed by a priori stratification on low vs high emotional support. Participants (n = 808) were 53.6 (SD ± 11.6) years of age, 69.8% female, 69.6% White, and 26.4% African American. Overall, 17.2% had probable PTSD. High emotional support was significantly ( P < 0.0001) more common among those without probable PTSD. Prescription opioid use at 6-month follow-up was significantly ( P = 0.0368) more common among patients with vs without probable PTSD. In fully adjusted models, PTSD was no longer associated with opioid use at 6-month follow-up among participants with high emotional support. Among those with lower emotional support, PTSD was significantly associated with opioid use at 6-month follow-up in unadjusted (odds ratio = 2.40; 95% confidence interval: 1.24-4.64) and adjusted models (odds ratio = 2.39; 95% confidence interval: 1.14-4.99). Results point to the hypothesis that improvement of emotional support in vulnerable patients with chronic pain and PTSD may help reduce sustained opioid use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lauren Wilson
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Matthew Amick
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Lisa R Miller-Matero
- Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research and Behavioral Health Services, Henry Ford Health, One Ford Place, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Timothy Chrusciel
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Advanced HEAlth Data (AHEAD) Research Institute, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Joanne Salas
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Advanced HEAlth Data (AHEAD) Research Institute, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Celeste Zabel
- Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research and Behavioral Health Services, Henry Ford Health, One Ford Place, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Patrick J Lustman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Brian Ahmedani
- Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research and Behavioral Health Services, Henry Ford Health, One Ford Place, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Ryan W Carpenter
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Jeffrey F Scherrer
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Advanced HEAlth Data (AHEAD) Research Institute, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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2
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Løseth G, Trøstheim M, Leknes S. Endogenous mu-opioid modulation of social connection in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:379. [PMID: 39289345 PMCID: PMC11408506 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03088-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 08/18/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Social bonding, essential for health and survival in all social species, depends on mu-opioid signalling in non-human mammals. A growing neuroimaging and psychopharmacology literature also implicates mu-opioids in human social connectedness. To determine the role of mu-opioids for social connectedness in healthy humans, we conducted a preregistered ( https://osf.io/x5wmq ) multilevel random-effects meta-analysis of randomised double-blind placebo-controlled opioid antagonist studies. We included data from 8 publications and 2 unpublished projects, totalling 17 outcomes (N = 455) sourced from a final literature search in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and EMBASE on October 12, 2023, and through community contributions. All studies used naltrexone (25-100 mg) to block the mu-opioid system and measured social connectedness by self-report. Opioid antagonism slightly reduced feelings of social connectedness (Hedges' g [95% CI) = -0.20] [-0.32, -0.07]. Results were highly consistent within and between studies (I2 = 23%). However, there was some indication of bias in favour of larger effects among smaller studies (Egger's test: B = -2.16, SE = 0.93, z = -2.33, p = 0.02), and publication bias analysis indicated that the effect of naltrexone might be overestimated. The results clearly demonstrate that intact mu-opioid signalling is not essential for experiencing social connectedness, as robust feelings of connectedness are evident even during full pharmacological mu-opioid blockade. Nevertheless, antagonism reduced measures of social connection, consistent with a modulatory role of mu-opioids for human social connectedness. The modest effect size relative to findings in non-human animals, could be related to differences in measurement (subjective human responses versus behavioural/motivation indices in animals), species specific neural mechanisms, or naltrexone effects on other opioid receptor subtypes. In sum, these results help explain how mu-opioid dysregulation and social disconnection can contribute to disability, and conversely-how social connection can buffer risk of ill health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guro Løseth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Martin Trøstheim
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physics and Computational Radiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physics and Computational Radiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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3
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Rafferty G, Brar G, Petrut M, Meagher D, O'Connell H, St John-Smith P. Banging the drum: evolutionary and cultural origins of music and its implications for psychiatry. BJPsych Bull 2023; 47:251-254. [PMID: 37313980 PMCID: PMC10764840 DOI: 10.1192/bjb.2023.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY There is growing interest in music-based therapies for mental/behavioural disorders. We begin by reviewing the evolutionary and cultural origins of music, proceeding then to discuss the principles of evolutionary psychiatry, itself a growing a field, and how it may apply to music. Finally we offer some implications for the role of music and music-based therapies in clinical practice.
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4
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Bershad AK, de Wit H. Social Psychopharmacology: Novel Approaches to Treat Deficits in Social Motivation in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1161-1173. [PMID: 37358825 PMCID: PMC10483474 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Diminished social motivation is a negative symptom of schizophrenia and leads to severe functional consequences for many patients suffering from the illness. However, there are no effective medications available to treat this symptom. Despite the lack of approved treatments for patients, there is a growing body of literature on the effects of several classes of drugs on social motivation in healthy volunteers that may be relevant to patients. The aim of this review is to synthesize these results in an effort to identify novel directions for the development of medications to treat reduced social motivation in schizophrenia. STUDY DESIGN In this article, we review pharmacologic challenge studies addressing the acute effects of psychoactive drugs on social motivation in healthy volunteers and consider how these findings may be applied to deficits in social motivation in schizophrenia. We include studies testing amphetamines and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), opioids, cannabis, serotonergic psychedelics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and neuropeptides. STUDY RESULTS We report that amphetamines, MDMA, and some opioid medications enhance social motivation in healthy adults and may represent promising avenues of investigation in schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Given the acute effects of these drugs on behavioral and performance-based measures of social motivation in healthy volunteers, they may be particularly beneficial as an adjunct to psychosocial training programs in patient populations. It remains to be determined how these medications affect patients with deficits in social motivation, and in which contexts they may be most effectively administered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anya K Bershad
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CAUSA
| | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, ILUSA
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5
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Rinaldi LJ, Simner J. Mental Health Difficulties in Children who Develop Misophonia: An Examination of ADHD, Depression & Anxiety. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01569-y. [PMID: 37501042 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01569-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder characterized by unusually strong aversions to a specific class of sounds (e.g., eating sounds). Here we demonstrate the mental health profile in children who develop misophonia, examining depression, anxiety and ADHD. Our participants were members of the birth cohort ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). We screened them for misophonia as adults, then analysed their retrospective mental health data from ages 7 to 16 years inclusive, reported from both children and parents. Data from their Development and Wellbeing Assessments (7-15 years) and their Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaires (9-16 years) show that our misophonia group had a greater likelihood of childhood anxiety disorder and depression in childhood (but not ADHD). Our data provide the first evidence from a large general population sample of the types of mental health co-morbidities found in children who develop misophonia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Simner
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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6
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Dunbar R. Why did doctrinal religions first appear in the Northern Subtropical Zone? EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2023; 5:e15. [PMID: 37587936 PMCID: PMC10427489 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Doctrinal religions that involve recognised gods, more formal theologies, moral codes, dedicated religious spaces and professional priesthoods emerged in two phases during the Neolithic. Almost all of these appeared in a narrow latitudinal band (the northern Subtropical Zone). I suggest that these developments were the result of a need to facilitate community bonding in response to scalar stresses that developed as community sizes increased dramatically beyond those typical of hunter-gatherer societies. Conditions for population growth (as indexed by rainfall patterns and the difference between pathogen load and the length of the growing season) were uniquely optimised in this zone, creating an environment of ecological release in which populations could grow unusually rapidly. The relationship between latitude, religion and language in contemporary societies suggests that the peculiar characteristics of the northern (but not the southern) Subtropical Zone were especially favourable for the evolution of large scale religions as a way of enforcing community cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.I.M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
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7
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Rauchbauer B, Jank G, Dunbar RIM, Lamm C. Only empathy-related traits, not being mimicked or endorphin release, influence social closeness and prosocial behavior. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4072. [PMID: 36906682 PMCID: PMC10008555 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30946-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Seminal studies suggest that being mimicked increases experienced social closeness and prosocial behavior to a mimicking confederate (i.e., interaction partner). Here we reexamine these results by considering the role of empathy-related traits, an indirect proxy for endorphin uptake, and their combined effects as an explanation for these results. 180 female participants were mimicked or anti-mimicked in an interaction with a confederate. The effects of being mimicked versus anti-mimicked in relation to empathy-related traits and endorphin release (assessed indirectly via pain tolerance) on experienced closeness and prosocial behavior were assessed using Bayesian analyses. Our results suggest that high individual empathy-related traits increase social closeness to the anti-mimicking and mimicking confederate and to one's romantic partner, as compared to mimicry alone. Results furthermore strongly suggest that high individual empathy-related traits increase prosocial behavior (donations and willingness to help) as compared to mimicry alone. These findings extend previous work by highlighting that empathy-related traits are more influential in creating positive effects on social closeness and prosocial behavior than a one-shot mimicking encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Rauchbauer
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria.,Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria.,Laboratoire Parole et Langage, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, 5 Avenue Pasteur, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France.,Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, 3, Place Victor-Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France.,Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Gabriela Jank
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX26GG, UK
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria. .,Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Trøstheim M, Eikemo M, Haaker J, Frost JJ, Leknes S. Opioid antagonism in humans: a primer on optimal dose and timing for central mu-opioid receptor blockade. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:299-307. [PMID: 35978096 PMCID: PMC7613944 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01416-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Non-human animal studies outline precise mechanisms of central mu-opioid regulation of pain, stress, affiliation and reward processing. In humans, pharmacological blockade with non-selective opioid antagonists such as naloxone and naltrexone is typically used to assess involvement of the mu-opioid system in such processing. However, robust estimates of the opioid receptor blockade achieved by opioid antagonists are missing. Dose and timing schedules are highly variable and often based on single studies. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of central opioid receptor blockade after opioid antagonism based on existing positron emission tomography data. We also create models for estimating opioid receptor blockade with intravenous naloxone and oral naltrexone. We find that common doses of intravenous naloxone (0.10-0.15 mg/kg) and oral naltrexone (50 mg) are more than sufficient to produce full blockade of central MOR (>90% receptor occupancy) for the duration of a typical experimental session (~60 min), presumably due to initial super saturation of receptors. Simulations indicate that these doses also produce high KOR blockade (78-100%) and some DOR blockade (10% with naltrexone and 48-74% with naloxone). Lower doses (e.g., 0.01 mg/kg intravenous naloxone) are estimated to produce less DOR and KOR blockade while still achieving a high level of MOR blockade for ~30 min. The models and simulations form the basis of two novel web applications for detailed planning and evaluation of experiments with opioid antagonists. These tools and recommendations enable selection of appropriate antagonists, doses and assessment time points, and determination of the achieved receptor blockade in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Trøstheim
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. .,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Marie Eikemo
- grid.5510.10000 0004 1936 8921Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Haaker
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Siri Leknes
- grid.55325.340000 0004 0389 8485Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway ,grid.5510.10000 0004 1936 8921Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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9
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Bending and bonding: a randomized controlled trial on the socio-psychobiological effects of spiritual versus secular yoga practice on social bonding. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-04062-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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10
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Bzdok D, Dunbar RIM. Social isolation and the brain in the pandemic era. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:1333-1343. [PMID: 36258130 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01453-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Intense sociality has been a catalyst for human culture and civilization, and our social relationships at a personal level play a pivotal role in our health and well-being. These relationships are, however, sensitive to the time we invest in them. To understand how and why this should be, we first outline the evolutionary background in primate sociality from which our human social world has emerged. We then review defining features of that human sociality, putting forward a framework within which one can understand the consequences of mass social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, including mental health deterioration, stress, sleep disturbance and substance misuse. We outline recent research on the neural basis of prolonged social isolation, highlighting especially higher-order neural circuits such as the default mode network. Our survey of studies covers the negative effects of prolonged social deprivation and the multifaceted drivers of day-to-day pandemic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Bzdok
- The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain-Imaging Centre (BIC), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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11
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Dunbar RIM. Managing the stresses of group-living in the transition to village life. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2022; 4:e40. [PMID: 37588930 PMCID: PMC10426039 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living is stressful for all mammals, and these stresses limit the size of their social groups. Humans live in very large groups by mammal standards, so how have they solved this problem? I use homicide rates as an index of within-community stress for humans living in small-scale ethnographic societies, and show that the frequency of homicide increases linearly with living-group size in hunter-gatherers. This is not, however, the case for cultivators living in permanent settlements, where there appears to be a 'glass ceiling' below which homicide rates oscillate. This glass ceiling correlates with the adoption of social institutions that allow tensions to be managed. The results suggest (a) that the transition to a settled lifestyle in the Neolithic may have been more challenging than is usually assumed and (b) that the increases in settlement size that followed the first villages necessitated the introduction of a series of social institutions designed to manage within-community discord.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
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12
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-third consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2020 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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13
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14
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Carter CS. Oxytocin and love: Myths, metaphors and mysteries. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 9:100107. [PMID: 35755926 PMCID: PMC9216351 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a peptide molecule with a multitude of physiological and behavioral functions. Based on its association with reproduction - including social bonding, sexual behavior, birth and maternal behavior - oxytocin also has been called "the love hormone." This essay specifically examines association and parallels between oxytocin and love. However, many myths and gaps in knowledge remain concerning both. A few of these are described here and we hypothesize that the potential benefits of both love and oxytocin may be better understood in light of interactions with more ancient systems, including specifically vasopressin and the immune system. Oxytocin is anti-inflammatory and is associated with recently evolved, social solutions to a variety of challenges necessary for mammalian survival and reproduction. The shared functions of oxytocin and love have profound implications for health and longevity, including the prevention and treatment of excess inflammation and related disorders, especially those occurring in early life and during periods of chronic threat or disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
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15
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Uvnäs Moberg K, Petersson M. Physiological effects induced by stimulation of cutaneous sensory nerves, with a focus on oxytocin. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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16
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Dunbar RIM, Frangou A, Grainger F, Pearce E. Laughter influences social bonding but not prosocial generosity to friends and strangers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256229. [PMID: 34388212 PMCID: PMC8362988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans deploy a number of specific behaviours for forming social bonds, one of which is laughter. However, two questions have not yet been investigated with respect to laughter: (1) Does laughter increase the sense of bonding to those with whom we laugh? and (2) Does laughter facilitate prosocial generosity? Using changes in pain threshold as a proxy for endorphin upregulation in the brain and a standard economic game (the Dictator Game) as an assay of prosociality, we show that laughter does trigger the endorphin system and, through that, seems to enhance social bonding, but it does not reliably influence donations to others. This suggests that social bonding and prosociality may operate via different mechanisms, or on different time scales, and relate to different functional objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Frangou
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Felix Grainger
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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17
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Dunbar RIM, Pearce E, Tarr B, Makdani A, Bamford J, Smith S, McGlone F. Cochlear SGN neurons elevate pain thresholds in response to music. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14547. [PMID: 34267302 PMCID: PMC8282857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93969-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The C-tactile (CLTM) peripheral nervous system is involved in social bonding in primates and humans through its capacity to trigger the brain’s endorphin system. Since the mammalian cochlea has an unusually high density of similar neurons (type-II spiral ganglion neurons, SGNs), we hypothesise that their function may have been exploited for social bonding by co-opting head movements in response to music and other rhythmic movements of the head in social contexts. Music provides one of many cultural behavioural mechanisms for ‘virtual grooming’ in that it is used to trigger the endorphin system with many people simultaneously so as to bond both dyadic relationships and large groups. Changes in pain threshold across an activity are a convenient proxy assay for endorphin uptake in the brain, and we use this, in two experiments, to show that pain thresholds are higher when nodding the head than when sitting still.
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Affiliation(s)
- R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, OX1 6GG, UK.
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, OX1 6GG, UK.,Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, WC1A 4AA, UK
| | - Bronwyn Tarr
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Adarsh Makdani
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Joshua Bamford
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Sharon Smith
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Francis McGlone
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.,Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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18
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Simpson FM, Perry G, Thompson WF. Assessing Vocal Chanting as an Online Psychosocial Intervention. Front Psychol 2021; 12:647632. [PMID: 34140914 PMCID: PMC8203819 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The ancient practice of chanting typically takes place within a community as a part of a live ceremony or ritual. Research suggests that chanting leads to improved mood, reduced stress, and increased wellbeing. During the global pandemic, many chanting practices were moved online in order to adhere to social distancing recommendations. However, it is unclear whether the benefits of live chanting occur when practiced in an online format. The present study assessed the effects of a 10-min online chanting session on stress, mood, and connectedness, carried out either in a group or individually. The study employed a 2 (chanting vs. control) × 2 (group vs. individual) between-subjects design. Participants (N = 117) were pseudo-randomly allocated across the four conditions. Before and after participation, individuals completed the Spielberg’s State Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Social Connectedness Scale and Aron’s Inclusion of Self in Other Scale. Online chanting led to a significant reduction in stress and an increase in positive affect when compared to the online control task. Participants who took part in group chanting also felt more connected to members of their chanting group than participants in the control group. However, feelings of general connectedness to all people remained similar across conditions. The investigation provides evidence that online chanting may be a useful psychosocial intervention, whether practiced individually or in a group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Maria Simpson
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gemma Perry
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - William Forde Thompson
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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19
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Chvaja R, Kundt R, Lang M. The Effects of Synchrony on Group Moral Hypocrisy. Front Psychol 2021; 11:544589. [PMID: 33391067 PMCID: PMC7773719 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.544589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have evolved various social behaviors such as interpersonal motor synchrony (i.e., matching movements in time), play and sport or religious ritual that bolster group cohesion and facilitate cooperation. While important for small communities, the face-to-face nature of such technologies makes them infeasible in large-scale societies where risky cooperation between anonymous individuals must be enforced through moral judgment and, ultimately, altruistic punishment. However, the unbiased applicability of group norms is often jeopardized by moral hypocrisy, i.e., the application of moral norms in favor of closer subgroup members such as key socioeconomic partners and kin. We investigated whether social behaviors that facilitate close ties between people also promote moral hypocrisy that may hamper large-scale group functioning. We recruited 129 student subjects that either interacted with a confederate in the high synchrony or low synchrony conditions or performed movements alone. Subsequently, participants judged a moral transgression committed by the confederate toward another anonymous student. The results showed that highly synchronized participants judged the confederate’s transgression less harshly than the participants in the other two conditions and that this effect was mediated by the perception of group unity with the confederate. We argue that for synchrony to amplify group identity in large-scale societies, it needs to be properly integrated with morally compelling group symbols that accentuate the group’s overarching identity (such as in religious worship or military parade). Without such contextualization, synchrony may create bonded subgroups that amplify local preferences rather than impartial and wide application of moral norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radim Chvaja
- LEVYNA Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, Department for the Study of Religions, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Radek Kundt
- LEVYNA Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, Department for the Study of Religions, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Martin Lang
- LEVYNA Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, Department for the Study of Religions, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
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20
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Charles SJ, Farias M, van Mulukom V, Saraswati A, Dein S, Watts F, Dunbar RIM. Blocking mu-opioid receptors inhibits social bonding in rituals. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200485. [PMID: 33050833 PMCID: PMC7655482 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Religious rituals are universal human practices that play a seminal role in community bonding. In two experiments, we tested the role of mu-opioids as the active factor fostering social bonding. We used a mu-opioid blocker (naltrexone) in two double-blind studies of rituals from different religious traditions. We found the same effect across both studies, with naltrexone leading to significantly lower social bonding compared with placebo. These studies suggest that mu-opioids play a significant role in experiences of social bonding within ritual contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Charles
- Brain, Belief, and Behaviour lab; Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL, UK
| | - M Farias
- Brain, Belief, and Behaviour lab; Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL, UK
| | - V van Mulukom
- Brain, Belief, and Behaviour lab; Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL, UK
| | - A Saraswati
- Traditional Yoga Association, Reading RG30 3DW, UK
| | - S Dein
- Department of Mental Health, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - F Watts
- International Society for Science and Religion, Cambridge, UK
| | - R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
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