What Does Loneliness Do to the Brain?

3. Feeling Lonely May Make Us Less Likely to Trust Others

Lonely people are more alert to potential threats around them, and that may lead to higher levels of distrust in others. For a study published in 2021, researchers recruited 42 people with severe, persistent loneliness who weren’t diagnosed with serious mental health conditions and a control group of the same size.

For one task, participants were given imaginary money and were asked whether they wanted to keep it all or share with other participants. If they shared their cash, the monetary value would triple and the person they shared it with could return some of the funds; participants could earn more cash in the experiment but only if they took a chance on trusting the other players. The lonely participants shared less with others than their nonlonely counterparts. And fMRI scans showed that the lonely participants had less activity in parts of the brain associated with trust formation, too.

Furthermore, blood and saliva samples that measured levels of oxytocin (a hormone that, among other functions, plays a role in bonding and attachment to others) revealed that nonlonely participants’ mood increased during small talk, while lonely participants’ didn’t. Lonely participants were more likely to report not trusting the research assistants, and they produced less oxytocin than the control group.

4. Loneliness May Contribute to Cognitive Decline

Socialization can also be an important way to stimulate your brain. Without this stimulation, there’s evidence that you may experience a decrease in cognitive function.

Research has pointed to changes in the brain when people grapple with above-average levels of loneliness. One study followed the health trajectories of 25 polar expeditioners who lived in solitude in Antarctica for 12 months.

The crew members experienced a decrease in their brain’s gray matter during their isolation, particularly in areas like the hippocampus and thalamus.

Another concern includes a heightened dementia risk for people who are socially isolated.

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3. Feeling Lonely May Make Us Less Likely to Trust Others

4. Loneliness May Contribute to Cognitive Decline

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