Psychological Effects of Helping Behavior in Older Adults

 描述(由申请人提供)：在10个主要死亡原因中，有7个与压力和炎症有关。我们的初步工作表明，助人行为通过调节压力和炎症，可以带来更好的健康和长寿。我们将通过实验操纵帮助行为(实验1和实验2)和纵向观察自然发生的帮助行为(研究3)，在老年人中测试这种可能性。我们的目标是确定帮助他人与健康之间关系的神经激素调节因子、回路和激素，包括慢性炎症生物标志物的长期变化。实验一将使用受试者之间的设计来实验性地操纵情感亲密度(是，否)和帮助行为(帮助，控制活动)。60名女性(65岁及以上)将被随机分配到四种情况中的一种：帮助-亲密伴侣；帮助-陌生人；亲密/控制；不亲密/控制。在帮助或控制活动(两者都是功能磁共振扫描仪中的反应时间任务)之后，所有参与者都将暴露在压力诱导中，也是在扫描仪中。依赖的指标将包括神经反应、催产素、应激激素、细胞因子和生长因子。实验2的程序相同，只是另外30名参与者将被要求带来一名年龄相似的女性家庭成员或朋友(在10年内)，她们将被随机分配到帮助朋友/家庭成员或参加控制活动。在这两个实验中，我们将检验这样一个假设，即大脑活动和帮助亲密伴侣的催产素将改善压力调节(H1)和免疫功能(H2)。第三项研究将使用生态瞬时评估(EMA)方法对实验参与者和另外30名女性(65岁及以上)进行为期一年的跟踪调查(总N=120)，以确定那些报告与亲密他人自然发生的帮助行为水平较高的人是否也表现出较低的压力荷尔蒙(H1)和炎症标记物(H2)水平。如果成功，我们相信这项工作将(A)为专注于压力、炎症、疾病和衰老的医学研究提供信息，并(B)刺激旨在调节压力的新一代非侵入性、亲社会的行为干预，从而降低发病率和死亡率。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Stress and inflammation are implicated in 7 out of the 10 leading causes of mortality. Our preliminary work suggests that helping behavior leads to better health and longevity by regulating stress and inflammation. We will test this possibility among older adults by experimentally manipulating helping behavior (Experiments 1 and 2) and by observing naturally occurring helping behavior longitudinally (Study 3). We aim to identify neurohormonal mediators circuitry and hormones of the relationship between helping others and health, including long-term changes in biomarkers for chronic inflammation. Experiment 1 will use a between-subjects design to experimentally manipulate emotional closeness (yes, no) and helping behavior (help, control activity). Sixty women (aged 65 and over) will be assigned randomly to one of four conditions: help-close partner; help- stranger; closeness/control; no closeness/control. Following the helping or control activity (both are a reaction time task in an fMRI scanner), all participants will be exposed to a stress induction, also in the scanner. Dependent measures will include neural responses, oxytocin, stress hormones, and cytokines and growth factors. Experiment 2 will be identical in procedure except an additional 30 participants will be asked to bring in a similar-aged female family member or friend (within 10 years), and they will be randomly assigned to either help the friend/family member or to a control activity. Across both experiments, we will test the hypothesis that brain activity and oxytocin associated with helping a close partner will improve stress regulation (H1) and immune function (H2). Study 3 will use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods to follow participants from the Experiments, plus an additional 30 women (65 and over), over the course of one year (total N=120) to determine whether those who report higher levels of naturally occurring helping behavior with close others also show lower levels of stress hormones (H1) and markers of inflammation (H2). If successful, we believe this work will (a) inform medical research focused on stress, inflammation, disease, and aging, and (b) stimulate a new generation of non-invasive, pro-social behavioral interventions designed to regulate stress, and thereby reduce morbidity and mortality.