Dr. Jamshid Faraji (left) and Dr. Gerlinde Metz. (Photo courtesy the University of Lethbridge)

By Mario Cabradilla

U of L study focuses on connection between social interaction and brain health

Jul 4, 2022 | 10:05 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Social interaction is linked to better learning, better mental health, healthy aging, and brain development. That’s according to a study from the University of Lethbridge (U of L).

Dr. Gerlinde Metz and Dr. Jamshid Faraji (Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience) wanted to understand the importance of social interaction and how it affects the brain. They led a study with other researchers to examine the effect of oxytocin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on rodents.

Metz said, “We have to be careful when we look at animal research and compare it to humans, but I think we can learn some good lessons from these studies.”

“Right now, our population faces a severe mental health crisis and is aging rapidly. Pregnant mothers and [the] elderly are especially vulnerable, and they feel the hit of the pandemic and the effects of social distancing. Given the links between social isolation, stress and health, it is more apparent now than ever to offer social support to vulnerable individuals or marginalized populations.”

Metz referred to BDNF as the ‘fountain of youth’ because it is the most abundant neurotrophic factor in the nervous system.

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“BDNF actually leads to better learning, better mental health, brain development and healthy aging — it’s really beneficial in every way,” Metz said. “It acts on brain function throughout our lifespan and even enhances the survival of neurons and regeneration of neurons in the brain.”

Metz noted that they studied oxytocin levels in the brain because it is the bonding hormone that reduces stress. She added that understanding how oxytocin works is essential, especially among pregnant mothers.

“This is particularly important now because we realized the critical role of social support and loneliness and mental health during the pandemic amid the heightened levels of stress and anxiety specifically among pregnant mothers,” Metz said.

“The stress we experience now has potentially transgenerational consequences and may be passed down to offspring three or four generations down the road. We want to understand what we can do to mitigate the effects of that stress and to do so, we need to understand how stress affects the brain.”

Oxytocin is a peptide hormone that has been long known “for the induction of birth contractions and other physiological functions, [and] is involved in attachment, confidence and reduction of anxiety, facilitating the stability of emotional relationships and therefore loyalty and love,” according to the April 2020 study Oxytocin and the role of “regulator of emotions”: Definition, neurobiochemical and clinic context, practical applications and contraindications, published on the Archives of Depression and Anxiety journal.

In the studies of Dr. Jamshid Faraji and Dr. Garlinde Metz, Faraji blocked the effects of oxytocin, resulting in the severe reduction of BDNF expression and stopping oxytocin’s beneficial effects on the brain. Without oxytocin interactions, BDNF expression was severely reduced.

“I think it really helps us to understand these biological mechanisms because they give us something to work with, variables we can measure,” said Metz. “We can then see how treatments or interventions are successful and make adjustments where needed to better help people.”

Metz also said that given the right stimulus, the study found that the brain can heal over time. The study Regional Differences in BDNF Expression and Behavior as a Function of Sex and Enrichment Type: Oxytocin Matters was published on January 20, 2022, in Oxford Academic.