Neuroscience. Feeling the pain of social loss.
Poets have long waxed lyrical about the pain of a broken heart. Now, as Panksepp explains in his Perspective, this metaphor may reflect real events in the mammalian brain. A new brain neuroimaging study (Eisenberger et al.) reveals that the brain areas that are activated during the distress caused by social exclusion are also those activated during physical pain. Thus, we now have an explanation for the feeling of physical pain that accompanies emotional loss-whether that be the loss of a loved one, rejection by one's social group, or the distress of separation experienced by young animals.
Panksepp
Jaak
J
J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA. jpankse@bgnet.bgsu.edu
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004644:Emotions; D004723:Endorphins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012934:Social Isolation
D004723:Endorphins; D009294:Narcotics