Loneliness in monkeys: neuroimmune mechanisms

Publication date: August 2019Source: Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Volume 28Author(s): John P Capitanio, Stephanie Cacioppo, Steven W ColeLoneliness, or perceived social isolation, may be evident in any group-living species, although its assessment in nonhumans provides some measurement challenges. It is well-known that loneliness in humans confers significant risk for morbidity and mortality, although mechanisms remain unclear. The authors describe a naturally occurring model of loneliness in adult male rhesus monkeys that shows many parallels with the phenomenon in humans. Lonely monkeys (those that display high frequencies of social initiations but low frequencies of complex interaction) show elevated sympathetic nervous system activity and downregulated Type I interferon responses. Analysis of data from simian immunodeficiency virus-infected monkeys indicates that these physiological changes have functional consequences. Use of this animal model can help identify mechanisms by which loneliness impacts health.
Source: Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research