Researchers at MIT have zeroed in on an area in the brain where the neurological origin of loneliness resides.
The team launched a mice study where each mouse was isolated for 24 hours, and found that a particular region of its brain experienced increased activation. That part, made up of a group of cells, is called the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and is located near the back of the brain.
Joining Larry to talk about the study and the implications of its findings is senior author of the study Kay Tye.
MIT Study on the Origin of Loneliness
Guest:
Kay Tye, senior author of the study, “Dorsal Raphe Dopamine Neurons Represent the Experience of Social Isolation” published in the February issue of the Journal Cell. She is also an assistant professor of neuroscience at MIT