Relationship status and perceived support in the social regulation of neural responses to threat.

ABSTRACT: Strong social ties correspond with better health and well being, but the neural mechanisms linking social contact to health remain speculative. This study extends work on the social regulation of brain activity by supportive handholding in 110 participants (51 female) of diverse racial and socioeconomic origins. In addition to main effects of social regulation by handholding, we assessed the moderating effects of both perceived social support and relationship status (married, cohabiting, dating or platonic friends). Results suggest that, under threat of shock, handholding by familiar relational partners attenuates both subjective distress and activity in a network associated with salience, vigilance and regulatory self-control. Moreover, greater perceived social support corresponded with l

SUBMITTER: Coan JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5647795 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature