Share：
Share this content in WeChat
X
[Chinese][PDF]3311
• Clinical Article •
Research on brain changes in social isolation based on magnetic resonance imaging technology: A Meta-analysis based on activation likelihood estimation
CHU Zhezhe  ZHANG Jianping  FAN Mengya  CHEN Shuanghong 

Cite this article as: CHU Z Z, ZHANG J P, FAN M Y, et al. Research on brain changes in social isolation based on magnetic resonance imaging technology: A Meta-analysis based on activation likelihood estimation[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(5): 96-101, 107. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.05.015.


[Abstract] Objective To explore the brain regions and their neurobiomarkers that are vulnerable to brain activation and brain volume in patients with social isolation (SI).This study has been PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero) web site registration, registration code for CRD42024628028.Materials and Methods Chinese literature was searched using the Chinese search terms "social isolation" "brain" and "magnetic resonance imaging" in Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. English literature was searched using the English search terms "social isolation" "brain," and "magnetic resonance imaging" in English databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase. Synonyms for both Chinese and English search terms were expanded, and the search period spanned from the establishment of the databases to September 2024. Literature was included according to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) was employed, and the single dataset module of Ginger ALE software was utilized to conduct an integrated analysis of the abnormal brain regions in SI patients compared to healthy controls (HCs) in previous studies.Results A total of 10 studies from 10 articles were included (488 SI patients and 476 HCs), encompassing task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (task-based fMRI) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies. The meta-analysis results of task-based fMRI studies revealed that SI patients exhibited increased brain activation in the left parahippocampal gyrus and left amygdala compared to HCs (voxel volume 1640 mm3, P < 0.001), with no regions showing decreased brain activation. The meta-analysis results of sMRI studies indicated that SI patients had increased brain volume in the right lentiform nucleus, right lateral globus pallidus, and right fusiform gyrus compared to HCs (voxel volume 912, 840 mm3, P < 0.001), and decreased brain volume in the left fusiform gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right middle occipital gyrus (voxel volume 480, 448, 448 mm3, P < 0.001).Conclusions This study, through ALE Meta-analysis, identified that the brain regions susceptible to activation in SI patients are the left parahippocampal gyrus and the left amygdala. The brain regions susceptible to volume changes include the left fusiform gyrus, the right inferior frontal gyrus, the right middle occipital gyrus, the right lentiform nucleus, the right lateral globus pallidus, and the right fusiform gyrus. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of social isolation on the brain and provide a theoretical basis for preventing the negative effects of social isolation.
[Keywords] brain；social isolation；magnetic resonance imaging；activation likelihood estimation；Meta-analysis

CHU Zhezhe1, 2   ZHANG Jianping1   FAN Mengya1   CHEN Shuanghong1*  

1 Naval Medical Center, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China

2 School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China

Corresponding author: CHEN S H, E-mail: chen127shh@sina.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-01-12
Accepted  2025-04-30
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.05.015
Cite this article as: CHU Z Z, ZHANG J P, FAN M Y, et al. Research on brain changes in social isolation based on magnetic resonance imaging technology: A Meta-analysis based on activation likelihood estimation[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(5): 96-101, 107. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.05.015.

[1]
BRANDT L, LIU S Y, HEIM C, et al. The effects of social isolation stress and discrimination on mental health[J/OL]. Transl Psychiatry, 2022, 12(1): 398 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36130935/. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02178-4.
[2]
HANLON P, WIGHTMAN H, POLITIS M, et al. The relationship between frailty and social vulnerability: a systematic review[J/OL]. Lancet Healthy Longev, 2024, 5(3): e214-e226 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38432249/. DOI: 10.1016/S2666-7568(23)00263-5.
[3]
KADOTANI H, OKAJIMA I, YANG K M, et al. Editorial: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on mental health and wellbeing[J/OL]. Front Public Health, 2022, 10: 1106216 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36589932/. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1106216.
[4]
TAHERI ZADEH Z, RAHMANI S, ALIDADI F, et al. Depresssion, anxiety and other cognitive consequences of social isolation: Drug and non-drug treatments[J/OL]. Int J Clin Pract, 2021, 75(12): e14949 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34614276/. DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.14949.
[5]
ZHANG X, RAVICHANDRAN S, GEE G C, et al. Social isolation, brain food cue processing, eating behaviors, and mental health symptoms[J/OL]. JAMA Netw Open, 2024, 7(4): e244855 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38573637/. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4855.
[6]
PROMMAS P, LWIN K S, CHEN Y C, et al. The impact of social isolation from COVID-19-related public health measures on cognitive function and mental health among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis[J/OL]. Ageing Res Rev, 2023, 85: 101839 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36596396/. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101839.
[7]
ZHAO J Y, JI X X, PAN Y F, et al. Research progress on the neural mechanism of the regulation of social isolation on innate behaviors[J]. Acta Physiol Sin, 2024, 76(2): 309-318. DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2024.0019.
[8]
VALTORTA N, HANRATTY B. Loneliness, isolation and the health of older adults: do we need a new research agenda?[J]. J R Soc Med, 2012, 105(12): 518-522. DOI: 10.1258/jrsm.2012.120128.
[9]
HIRABAYASHI N, HONDA T, JUN H T, et al. Association between frequency of social contact and brain atrophy in community-dwelling older people without dementia: the JPSC-AD study[J/OL]. Neurology, 2023, 101(11): e1108-e1117 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37438128/. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207602.
[10]
WHITE S F, VOSS J L, CHIANG J J, et al. Exposure to violence and low family income are associated with heightened amygdala responsiveness to threat among adolescents[J/OL]. Dev Cogn Neurosci, 2019, 40: 100709 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31654964/. DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100709.
[11]
WASSENAAR T M, YAFFE K, VAN DER WERF Y D, et al. Associations between modifiable risk factors and white matter of the aging brain: insights from diffusion tensor imaging studies[J/OL]. Neurobiol Aging, 2019, 80: 56-70 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31103633/. DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.04.006.
[12]
ANTONIOU G, LAMBOURG E, STEELE J D, et al. The effect of adverse childhood experiences on chronic pain and major depression in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis[J]. Br J Anaesth, 2023, 130(6): 729-746. DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.03.008.
[13]
DENG Q L, CHEN J. A coordinate-based meta-analysis in brain imaging study: activation likelihood estimation[J]. J Psychol Sci, 2015, 38(1): 216-220. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.2015.01.028.
[14]
SHEN C, ROLLS E T, CHENG W, et al. Associations of social isolation and loneliness with later dementia[J/OL]. Neurology, 2022, 99(2): e164-e175 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35676089/. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200583.
[15]
VIJAYAKUMAR N, CHENG T W, FLANNERY J E, et al. Differential neural sensitivity to social inclusion and exclusion in adolescents in foster care[J/OL]. Neuroimage Clin, 2022, 34: 102986 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35290856/. DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102986.
[16]
GREEN S A, GOFF B, GEE D G, et al. Discrimination of amygdala response predicts future separation anxiety in youth with early deprivation[J]. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2016, 57(10): 1135-1144. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12578.
[17]
GEE D G, GABARD-DURNAM L J, FLANNERY J, et al. Early developmental emergence of human amygdala-prefrontal connectivity after maternal deprivation[J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2013, 110(39): 15638-15643. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307893110.
[18]
TOTTENHAM N, HARE T A, MILLNER A, et al. Elevated amygdala response to faces following early deprivation[J]. Dev Sci, 2011, 14(2): 190-204. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2010.00971.x.
[19]
PUETZ V B, KOHN N, DAHMEN B, et al. Neural response to social rejection in children with early separation experiences[J/OL]. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 2014, 53(12): 1328-1337.e8 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25457931/. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2014.09.004.
[20]
MAHEU F S, DOZIER M, GUYER A E, et al. A preliminary study of medial temporal lobe function in youths with a history of caregiver deprivation and emotional neglect[J]. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, 2010, 10(1): 34-49. DOI: 10.3758/CABN.10.1.34.
[21]
SILVERS J A, LUMIAN D S, GABARD-DURNAM L, et al. Previous institutionalization is followed by broader amygdala-hippocampal-PFC network connectivity during aversive learning in human development[J]. J Neurosci, 2016, 36(24): 6420-6430. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0038-16.2016.
[22]
SALOMON T, COHEN A, BARAZANY D, et al. Brain volumetric changes in the general population following the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown[J/OL]. Neuroimage, 2021, 239: 118311 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34182098/. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118311.
[23]
EVERAERD D, KLUMPERS F, ZWIERS M, et al. Childhood abuse and deprivation are associated with distinct sex-dependent differences in brain morphology[J]. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016, 41(7): 1716-1723. DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.344.
[24]
MACKES N K, GOLM D, SARKAR S, et al. Early childhood deprivation is associated with alterations in adult brain structure despite subsequent environmental enrichment[J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2020, 117(1): 641-649. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911264116.
[25]
ZHANG Q, HOU Y Z, ZHANG W, et al. Resting-state fMRI study of vulnerable brain regions in patients with primary insomnia: a Meta-analysis based on activation likelihood estimation[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imag, 2022, 13(6): 88-93. DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2022.06.017.
[26]
BEADLE J N, HELLER A, ROSENBAUM R S, et al. Amygdala but not hippocampal damage associated with smaller social network size[J/OL]. Neuropsychologia, 2022, 174: 108311 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35810880/. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108311.
[27]
BICKART K C, WRIGHT C I, DAUTOFF R J, et al. Amygdala volume and social network size in humans[J]. Nat Neurosci, 2011, 14(2): 163-164. DOI: 10.1038/nn.2724.
[28]
BOCK J, RETHER K, GRÖGER N, et al. Perinatal programming of emotional brain circuits: an integrative view from systems to molecules[J/OL]. Front Neurosci, 2014, 8: 11 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24550772/. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00011.
[29]
BAETENS K, MA N, STEEN J, et al. Involvement of the mentalizing network in social and non-social high construal[J]. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 2014, 9(6): 817-824. DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst048.
[30]
HYLIN M J, WATANASRIYAKUL W T, HITE N, et al. Morphological changes in the basolateral amygdala and behavioral disruptions associated with social isolation[J/OL]. Behav Brain Res, 2022, 416: 113572 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34499940/. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113572.
[31]
VAZQUEZ-SANROMAN D B, WILSON G A, BARDO M T. Effects of social isolation on perineuronal nets in the amygdala following a reward omission task in female rats[J]. Mol Neurobiol, 2021, 58(1): 348-361. DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02125-8.
[32]
WANG J, LI H, SONG N, et al. Effect of stereotactic injection of a ferroptosis inducer in the external segment of globus pallidus on motor behavior in mice[J]. J Qingdao Univ Med Sci, 2024, 60(3): 317-321. DOI: 10.11712/jms.2096-5532.2024.60.048.
[33]
BA W, NOLLET M, YIN C Y, et al. A REM-active basal Ganglia circuit that regulates anxiety[J/OL]. Curr Biol, 2024, 34(15): 3301-3314.e4 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38944034/. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.010.
[34]
TANG Y L, LI Y T, CAO P Y, et al. Striatum and globus pallidus structural abnormalities in schizophrenia: a retrospective study of the different stages of the disease[J/OL]. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 2024, 133: 111022 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38692473/. DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111022.
[35]
ITO S, MIURA K, MIYAYAMA M, et al. Association between globus pallidus volume and positive symptoms in schizophrenia[J]. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2022, 76(11): 602-603. DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13465.
[36]
SUN D, ZHANG Y. The functional specialization and collaboration of the bilateral fusiform face areas[J]. Adv Psychol Sci, 2016, 24(4): 510-516. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2016.00510.
[37]
ZHU S R, XIE T, LV Z Y, et al. Hierarchies in visual pathway: functions and inspired artificial vision[J/OL]. Adv Mater, 2024, 36(6): 2301986. [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37435995/. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202301986.
[38]
VILLOSLADA P, SOLANA E, ALBA-ARBALAT S, et al. Retinal damage and visual network reconfiguration defines visual function recovery in optic neuritis[J/OL]. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm, 2024, 11(6): e200288 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39213469/. DOI: 10.1212/NXI.0000000000200288.
[39]
TANAKA S, MICHIMATA C, KAMINAGA T, et al. Superior digit memory of abacus experts: an event-related functional MRI study[J]. Neuroreport, 2002, 13(17): 2187-2191. DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200212030-00005.
[40]
BRIGGS R G, KHAN A B, CHAKRABORTY A R, et al. Anatomy and white matter connections of the superior frontal gyrus[J]. Clin Anat, 2020, 33(6): 823-832. DOI: 10.1002/ca.23523.
[41]
CHOI T Y, JEON H, JEONG S, et al. Distinct prefrontal projection activity and transcriptional state conversely orchestrate social competition and hierarchy[J/OL]. Neuron, 2024, 112(4): 611-627.e8 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38086372/. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.012.
[42]
ZHENG S, CHEN X M, LIU W J, et al. Association of loneliness and grey matter volume in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: the mediating role of interpersonal self-support traits[J]. Brain Imaging Behav, 2023, 17(5): 481-493. DOI: 10.1007/s11682-023-00776-4.
[43]
BEGNI V, SANSON A, PFEIFFER N, et al. Social isolation in rats: Effects on animal welfare and molecular markers for neuroplasticity[J/OL]. PLoS One, 2020, 15(10): e0240439 [2025-01-11]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33108362/. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240439.
[44]
CHOCYK A, BOBULA B, DUDYS D, et al. Early-life stress affects the structural and functional plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex in adolescent rats[J]. Eur J Neurosci, 2013, 38(1): 2089-2107. DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12208.
[45]
SARKAR A, KABBAJ M. Sex differences in effects of ketamine on behavior, spine density, and synaptic proteins in socially isolated rats[J]. Biol Psychiatry, 2016, 80(6): 448-456. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.12.025.
[46]
ZHANG W N, CHANG S H, GUO L Y, et al. The neural correlates of reward-related processing in major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies[J]. J Affect Disord, 2013, 151(2): 531-539. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.039.

PREV Association of MRI indexes of brain glymphatic function with sleep status in insomnia patients disorders and the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment on them
NEXT Study on rs-fMRI imaging features of depression patients with unilateral basal ganglia stroke based on local consistencyand low-frequency amplitude
  


LINK


Tel & Fax: +8610-67113815    E-mail: editor@cjmri.cn