Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRI
Social pain, a multifaceted emotional response triggered by interpersonal rejection or criticism, profoundly impacts mental well-being and social interactions. While prior research has implicated the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) in mitigating social pain, the precise neural mechani...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-04-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811924001150 |
| _version_ | 1797199860714176512 |
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| author | Sijin Li Xueying Cao Yiwei Li Yuyao Tang Si Cheng Dandan Zhang |
| author_facet | Sijin Li Xueying Cao Yiwei Li Yuyao Tang Si Cheng Dandan Zhang |
| author_sort | Sijin Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Social pain, a multifaceted emotional response triggered by interpersonal rejection or criticism, profoundly impacts mental well-being and social interactions. While prior research has implicated the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) in mitigating social pain, the precise neural mechanisms and downstream effects on subsequent social attitudes remain elusive. This study employed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) integrated with fMRI recordings during a social pain task to elucidate these aspects. Eighty participants underwent either active TMS targeting the rVLPFC (n = 41) or control stimulation at the vertex (n = 39). Our results revealed that TMS-induced rVLPFC facilitation significantly reduced self-reported social pain, confirming the causal role of the rVLPFC in social pain relief. Functional connectivity analyses demonstrated enhanced interactions between the rVLPFC and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, emphasizing the collaborative engagement of prefrontal regions in emotion regulation. Significantly, we observed that negative social feedback led to negative social attitudes, whereas rVLPFC activation countered this detrimental effect, showcasing the potential of the rVLPFC as a protective buffer against adverse social interactions. Moreover, our study uncovered the impact role of the hippocampus in subsequent social attitudes, a relationship particularly pronounced during excitatory TMS over the rVLPFC. These findings offer promising avenues for improving mental health within the intricate dynamics of social interactions. By advancing our comprehension of the neural mechanisms underlying social pain relief, this research introduces novel intervention strategies for individuals grappling with social distress. Empowering individuals to modulate rVLPFC activation may facilitate reshaping social attitudes and successful reintegration into communal life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:22:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cf1c5428acaf431bb6c0391827112eaa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:22:28Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj.art-cf1c5428acaf431bb6c0391827112eaa2024-04-21T04:14:19ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722024-04-01292120620Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRISijin Li0Xueying Cao1Yiwei Li2Yuyao Tang3Si Cheng4Dandan Zhang5Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, ChinaInstitute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, ChinaInstitute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, ChinaInstitute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen 518055, China; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Corresponding author.Social pain, a multifaceted emotional response triggered by interpersonal rejection or criticism, profoundly impacts mental well-being and social interactions. While prior research has implicated the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) in mitigating social pain, the precise neural mechanisms and downstream effects on subsequent social attitudes remain elusive. This study employed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) integrated with fMRI recordings during a social pain task to elucidate these aspects. Eighty participants underwent either active TMS targeting the rVLPFC (n = 41) or control stimulation at the vertex (n = 39). Our results revealed that TMS-induced rVLPFC facilitation significantly reduced self-reported social pain, confirming the causal role of the rVLPFC in social pain relief. Functional connectivity analyses demonstrated enhanced interactions between the rVLPFC and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, emphasizing the collaborative engagement of prefrontal regions in emotion regulation. Significantly, we observed that negative social feedback led to negative social attitudes, whereas rVLPFC activation countered this detrimental effect, showcasing the potential of the rVLPFC as a protective buffer against adverse social interactions. Moreover, our study uncovered the impact role of the hippocampus in subsequent social attitudes, a relationship particularly pronounced during excitatory TMS over the rVLPFC. These findings offer promising avenues for improving mental health within the intricate dynamics of social interactions. By advancing our comprehension of the neural mechanisms underlying social pain relief, this research introduces novel intervention strategies for individuals grappling with social distress. Empowering individuals to modulate rVLPFC activation may facilitate reshaping social attitudes and successful reintegration into communal life.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811924001150Social painSocial feedbackVentrolateral prefrontal cortexHippocampusTranscranial magnetic stimulationSocial attitude |
| spellingShingle | Sijin Li Xueying Cao Yiwei Li Yuyao Tang Si Cheng Dandan Zhang Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRI NeuroImage Social pain Social feedback Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex Hippocampus Transcranial magnetic stimulation Social attitude |
| title | Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRI |
| title_full | Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRI |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRI |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRI |
| title_short | Enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes: Insights from TMS and fMRI |
| title_sort | enhancing ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activation mitigates social pain and modifies subsequent social attitudes insights from tms and fmri |
| topic | Social pain Social feedback Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex Hippocampus Transcranial magnetic stimulation Social attitude |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811924001150 |
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