Debra S. Karhson, PhD | University of New Orleans; Mya Scott; Charlie Weinstein; Kate Yurgil, PhD
Competition Sponsor: National Academy of Medicine
Awardee Year: 2024
Social connection is an essential facet of human life that when impaired can radically lower the quality of life. Feelings of social disconnection increase stress, disrupt sleep, lowers the quality of life, and can drastically increase morbidity. For example, the impact of social disconnection on health is comparable in magnitude to smoking 15 cigarettes or consuming six alcoholic drinks per day. Furthermore, increasing the mere number of social interactions does not significantly reduce social disconnection further emphasizing that social interactions are not adequate substitutes for social connectedness. Current methods to alleviate social disconnection (i.e., loneliness and social isolation) rely on the modification of an individual’s behavior. However, this approach may only provide partial relief if the biology of social connectedness is left unattended and untreated. Research on the biology of social connections is considerably limited. So much so, that both the World Health Organization and the National Academies of Medicine have indicated this gap in knowledge a critical step in advancing the research agenda on social disconnection. Specifically, data on the neurobiological mechanisms that facilitate the transition of social interactions to social connectedness remain unclear and a grand challenge to society. Thus, by defining the neurobiological mechanisms of social connectedness, an obvious and critical gap on the transition of social interactions into social connections can be addressed and used to improve the health and well-being of people. A key component in social connectedness is activation of the “pleasure circuit” within the brain’s larger reward network. Although oxytocin and dopamine have long been studied for their association with pleasure and bonding, both of these molecules recruit the support of cannabinoids produced by the human body. Specifically, anandamide (the bliss molecule) helps drive the feelings of pleasure. But, while anandamide is known to contribute to pleasure of social connections, it has never been the focus of human studies on social connection. Given the wealth of preclinical data on its specialized role in social interactions, anandamide is well-positioned as a potentially transformative molecular modulator of social connectedness. The crux of our idea is that anandamide, is a molecular modulator of social connectedness that is determined at a genetic level and impacts the brain’s desire to “couple” with another individual’s brain during a social interaction. Social connections are a direct and modifiable risk factor for healthy longevity. By defining the role of anandamide in social connection, we can identify “druggable” targets for the development of pharmacological interventions for social connectedness. We expect to positively impact health longevity and expedite the development of pharmacological treatments to restore and enhance social connectedness and longevity.