Examining Social Intimacy in Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers Associated with Loneliness

项目摘要 孤独感被定义为一个人渴望的社会关系水平与实际的社会关系水平之间的差异。孤寂 作为一种构思，它不仅捕捉到了社会孤立；它捕捉到了情感上的孤立。报告的孤独是一种 发病率和死亡率增加的一致预测因素。目前的估计将孤独等同于 对死亡率的影响相当于每天抽大约15支香烟。一条途径，通过它 孤独可能通过增加心血管疾病(CVD)的风险来影响死亡率。例行的学习 发现孤独和心血管疾病之间的联系，但这条途径的机制尚不清楚。一个因素 孤独和心脑血管疾病的共同之处可能解释这种关系是交感的 (SNS)和副交感神经系统(PNS)。三七总皂甙减慢心率，降低生理性 唤醒。在受到威胁的时候，SNS被激活，增加心率和体内的氧气流动。高 社交网络的参与程度被认为在心血管疾病的发展中起到了因果作用。 与所提出的途径一致，孤独的个体在休息和休息时有下呼吸道窦性心律失常。 在压力期间，比非孤独的人，这是一个SNS增加和PNS活动减少的指标。这 神经系统参与也可能参与行为过程的中断，从而导致 联系。社会联系发生在双子体中的一个成员从事脆弱的自我表露，而 其他人则以理解/关心的方式回应。研究人员假设，在孤独的人中， SNS可能很容易被激活来调节生理和行为，导致缺乏披露或不充分 对披露的反应。SNS参与和破坏社交联系过程的这种模式 可能会导致孤独，并通过社交网络的过度参与增加患心血管疾病的风险。这个 本研究提出了一种创新设计，使用多种动态评估技术来评估 心率变异性(HRV)，社交网络参与度的生物标记物。在醒着的时候， 参与者将佩戴心率变异性采集设备。此外，参与者还将完成这两项任务 信号和事件应急动态评估调查，详细说明其最新的社会互动和 目前的孤独感。这一项目代表了一系列具有长期目标的研究的第一步。 通过心理社会干预减轻孤独对心血管疾病的影响。也就是说，建议的 这项研究将为孤独引起的心血管疾病的心理社会预防策略提供信息。该项目正在移动 通过确定亲密度产生行为和生物标记物之间的关系来实现这一目标 CVD，并澄清孤独个体的连接建立过程的哪一部分被打断。

PROJECT ABSTRACT Loneliness is defined as a discrepancy between one's desired and actual level of social connection. Loneliness as a construct captures more than social isolation; it captures emotional isolation. Reported loneliness is a consistent predictor of increased rates of morbidity and mortality. Current estimates equate loneliness as having the same impact on mortality as smoking approximately 15 cigarettes a day. One pathway by which loneliness may impact mortality is through an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies routinely find a connection between loneliness and CVD, but the mechanism of that pathway is unclear. One factor common to both loneliness and CVD that may explain the relationship is the engagement of the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous systems (PNS). The PNS slows heart rate and reduces physiological arousal. The SNS is activated during times of threat, increasing heart rate and oxygen flow in the body. High levels of SNS engagement have been implicated as having a causal role in the development of CVD. Consistent with this proposed pathway, lonely individuals have lower respiratory sinus arrhythmia at rest and during stressors than non-lonely individuals, an indicator of increased SNS and lower PNS activity. This nervous system engagement may also be involved in disruptions in the behavioral processes that lead to connection. Social connection occurs one member of a dyad engages in a vulnerable self-disclosure, and the other responds in an understanding/caring way. Researchers have hypothesized that in lonely individuals, the SNS may be easily activated to regulate physiology and behavior, producing a lack of disclosure or inadequate responsiveness to disclosure. This pattern of SNS engagement and disruption to the social connection process may result in loneliness and increase the risk of CVD through the excessive engagement of the SNS. The present study proposes an innovative design using multiple ambulatory assessment techniques to assess heart rate variability (HRV), a biomarker of SNS engagement, during social interactions. During waking hours, participants will wear a heart rate variability collection device. Additionally, participants will complete both signal and event contingent ambulatory assessment surveys detailing their most recent social interactions and current feelings of loneliness. This project represents the first step of a line of research with the long-term goal of mitigating the effect of loneliness on CVD through psychosocial intervention. That is to say, the proposed study will inform psychosocial prevention strategies for CVD resulting from loneliness. The project moves towards that goal by identifying the relationship between closeness-generating behaviors and biomarkers of CVD and clarifying what part of the connection-building process is interrupted in lonely individuals.