Social Isolation Stimulates Brain Activity Similar to Hunger Cravings, Claims New Study

Observing a fast is no easy feat. A new study claims that this reaction is similar to the response generated by our brain when we stay in social isolation for some time. The paper, titled “Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger” was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience on November 23. Rebecca Saxe, the senior author of the study, claims that their study fits in the intuitive idea that “positive social interactions are a basic human need.” Moreover, she calls acute loneliness as “an aversive state that motivates people to repair what is lacking, similar to hunger.” Saxe is John W. Jarve Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, a member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research. For people who have stayed in isolation for longer periods have shown weaker cravings for social interaction as compared to those who enjoy a rich social life, something similar to our food cravings’ response.