Brain Circuit Gets Damaged Due to Isolation During Childhood, Says Study
A research team from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has now identified a specific brain circuit in the prefrontal cortex that is particularly vulnerable to childhood isolation. This particular circuit is also a target for the treatment of social behavior deficits. This is according to Hirofumi Morishita, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The research shows that two weeks of social isolation immediately following weaning in male mice leads to failure in activation of the medial prefrontal cortex neurons.
The research team employed two techniques in order to determine whether acute restoration of the activity of prefrontal projections to the paraventricular thalamus is sufficient to ameliorate sociability deficits in adult mice that underwent juvenile social isolation.
The first technique being used is optogenetics. It selectively stimulates the prefrontal projections to the paraventricular thalamus. The latter one is chemogenetics.
Optogenetics stimulates particular neurons in freely moving animals with pulses of light, while chemogenetics allows non-invasive chemical control over cell populations. Using both techniques allows researches to quickly increase social interaction in these mice once light pulses or drugs were administered to them.
Social isolation experienced by young people refers to limited or absent social interactions for an extended period of time with others. This may be the result of involuntary circumstances such as school bullying, hospitalization, or voluntary social withdrawal from interacting with others to avoid uncomfortable situations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced countries worldwide to go into lockdowns and implement social distancing measures. This has caused people to retreat to digital platforms in order to stay connected. However, being kept in social isolation for long periods can lead to loneliness.
Researchers believe that the effects of loneliness and isolation vary among people of different age groups.
Those with age ranging from 18-49 years old may struggle to focus or have changes in eating habits. Children and young adolescents, on the other hand, may experience more cognitive, behavioral, and emotional difficulties.
Social behavior deficits are common factors of neurodevelopmental and schizophrenic disorders. As such, proper identification of these specific prefrontal neurons will be beneficial in the improvement of social behavior deficits shared across a range of psychiatric disorders.
While research has shown that social isolation during childhood is detrimental to adult brain function and behavior across mammalian species, the underlying neural circuit mechanisms have remained poorly understood.
How To Look Out For Each Other
Although physical distancing is an effective way to slow down the spread of many viruses, it is important to keep a healthy mental well-being for yourself and others.
Maintain digital connections by having scheduled video-calls or knocking on neighbors' doors while keeping a safe distance away. This way, it shows that they have nearby support and are gently reminded that they are not alone.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in spending most of the day indoors. It will be beneficial to participate in online activities with other people to promote a feeling of connection and decrease the sense of loneliness.
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