Theta signal as the neural signature of social exclusion.
Cereb Cortex
; 23(10): 2437-47, 2013 Oct.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22875860
ABSTRACT
The feeling of being excluded from a social interaction triggers social pain, a sensation as intense as actual physical pain. Little is known about the neurophysiological underpinnings of social pain. We addressed this issue using intracranial electroencephalography in 15 patients performing a ball game where inclusion and exclusion blocks were alternated. Time-frequency analyses showed an increase in power of theta-band oscillations during exclusion in the anterior insula (AI) and posterior insula, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC), and the fusiform "face area" (FFA). Interestingly, the AI showed an initial fast response to exclusion but the signal rapidly faded out. Activity in the sACC gradually increased and remained significant thereafter. This suggests that the AI may signal social pain by detecting emotional distress caused by the exclusion, whereas the sACC may be linked to the learning aspects of social pain. Theta activity in the FFA was time-locked to the observation of a player poised to exclude the participant, suggesting that the FFA encodes the social value of faces. Taken together, our findings suggest that theta activity represents the neural signature of social pain. The time course of this signal varies across regions important for processing emotional features linked to social information.
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Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Distância Psicológica
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Ritmo Teta
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Encéfalo
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Percepção da Dor
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Giro do Cíngulo
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Cereb Cortex
Assunto da revista:
CEREBRO
Ano de publicação:
2013
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
França