一個(gè)人認(rèn)識(shí)的人越多，他腦中的某些部分會(huì)長(zhǎng)得越大,。
據(jù)研究人員披露,，具體地說，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)那些已知處理如面孔等社會(huì)信息的腦區(qū)域在那些一直居住在較大群組的動(dòng)物中會(huì)較大,。
Jerome Sallet及其同事對(duì)23個(gè)或是獨(dú)居,，或是與一位朋友同住或是生活在一個(gè)數(shù)目為3至7個(gè)猴子的社會(huì)性群體中的恒河猴的腦子進(jìn)行了研究。
研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，那些生活在較大組群中的猴子在它們的中上腦溝及嘴緣側(cè)前額皮質(zhì)中有著更多的灰質(zhì),，而且其額葉和顳葉皮層活動(dòng)的耦聯(lián)也有增加。
由于所有這些腦區(qū)域都與處理社會(huì)信息有關(guān),，Sallet及其同事提出,，個(gè)體的社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)大小會(huì)促成腦子的結(jié)構(gòu)與功能的變化。
這些研究人員還將這些動(dòng)物的社會(huì)地位與其腦中的特別區(qū)域的大小進(jìn)行關(guān)聯(lián),，這意味著灰質(zhì)的差異可能會(huì)幫助預(yù)測(cè)某個(gè)動(dòng)物在一個(gè)特定的社會(huì)環(huán)境中是否會(huì)成功,。
這些發(fā)現(xiàn)凸顯了個(gè)體本身的社會(huì)環(huán)境對(duì)腦子所施加的壓力。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1126/science.1210027
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Social Network Size Affects Neural Circuits in Macaques
J. Sallet, R. B. Mars, M. P. Noonan1, J. L. Andersson, J. X. O’Reilly, S. Jbabdi, P. L. Croxson, M. Jenkinson, K. L. Miller, M. F. S. Rushworth
It has been suggested that variation in brain structure correlates with the sizes of individuals’ social networks. Whether variation in social network size causes variation in brain structure, however, is unknown. To address this question, we neuroimaged 23 monkeys that had been living in social groups set to different sizes. Subject comparison revealed that living in larger groups caused increases in gray matter in mid-superior temporal sulcus and rostral prefrontal cortex and increased coupling of activity in frontal and temporal cortex. Social network size, therefore, contributes to changes both in brain structure and function. The changes have potential implications for an animal’s success in a social context; gray matter differences in similar areas were also correlated with each animal’s dominance within its social network.
