Key result
Greater loneliness in young adults was significantly associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity between the right inferior frontal gyrus and visual attention areas including the supplementary motor area.
Why the study?
Prolonged loneliness is detrimental to human health, but few neuroimaging studies have been published and some are limited by small sample sizes.
Cross-Sectional (n=1,336)
No
p-value: p=0.0277
Greater loneliness in young adults is associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity in visual attention brain areas, suggesting increased social monitoring.
Loneliness-linked rsFC differences in young adults remain hypothesis-generating; prospective studies needed before clinical relevance.
Although loneliness itself is a natural emotion, prolonged loneliness is detrimental to human health. Despite its detrimental effect, few loneliness-related neuroimaging studies have been published and some have limitations on the sample size number. This study aims to find the difference in resting-state functional connectivity associated with loneliness within a big sample size via the seed-based approach. Functional connectivity analysis was performed on a large cohort of young adults (N = 1336) using the seed-based functional connectivity approach to address the concern from previous studies. The analysis yielded statistically significant positive correlations between loneliness and functional connectivities between the inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area, precentral gyrus, and superior parietal lobule. Additionally, the analysis replicated a finding from a previous study, which is increased functional connectivities between the inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area. In conclusion, greater loneliness is reflected by stronger functional connectivity of the visual attention brain area.
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T. et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Loneliness (n=1,336). Loneliness vs. Lower loneliness scores (continuous variable) was evaluated on Resting-state functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and supplementary motor area (SMA) (p=0.0277). Greater loneliness in young adults was significantly associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity between the right inferior frontal gyrus and visual attention areas including the supplementary motor area.
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