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Loneliness leads to brain changes and depression
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists from the University at Buffalo and the Sinai School of Medicine have found that prolonged loneliness can cause damage to neural connections, in particular, damage to the insulating layer that allows signals to pass through without loss.
The results of the specialists’ work were published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The scientists made this discovery through experiments conducted on mice. One group of rodents spent eight weeks in isolation, sitting in single cages. This led them to a depressive state, since in most laboratories and in natural conditions animals live in groups.
After analyzing the mice's brains, the researchers found that the myelin layer, which is located between the nerve fibers that connect different parts of the brain, had decreased. Myelin is a mixture of proteins and lipids that provides electrical insulation, allowing nerves to transmit signals from cell to cell with virtually no loss.
Significant destruction of the myelin layer is observed in people with multiple sclerosis, which leads to death. Although not so large in scale, a similar process is observed in experimental animals.
Experts were able to find out how this damage occurs.
"Our experiments show that the activity of a number of genes important in this process is reduced in the cells that produce the myelin insulation layer," comments lead author Dr. Dietz. "If we follow the nature of the changes, we will see that oligodendrocytes - special cells - cannot fully mature in the brains of isolated animals, which leads to a decrease in myelin production."
According to scientists, this process is reversible. After the isolated mouse is reintroduced to the community of its fellows, the oligodendrocytes mature and the process of producing myelin insulation is restored.
The study's authors believe that their research provides the first opportunity to see that the processes of brain restructuring are significantly influenced by external factors, and not just neurons and other cells.
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