2008 Woodie Awards
New study shows genetics play a part in feelings of isolation
Jane Der - U-WIRE
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: College Life
Though loneliness has often been defined by the amount of social interaction a person experiences, a recent study led by scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles sheds new light on how loneliness may be linked to the most basic internal processes of our biology.
"It's our first glimpse into the whole picture of how social factors regulate genomic function to influence human health," said Steve Cole, an associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine and lead researcher for the study.
The study is the first of its kind to use DNA microarrays, chips that contain collections of genetic probes, to analyze differences in gene activity between lonely and non-lonely people. In the study, Cole used the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a widely used psychological survey developed in the 1970s, to assess levels of social isolation and to classify people as lonely or non-lonely.
The researchers found that changes in the gene expression of the cells were not a function of the number of relationships or amount of interaction a person had but rather were related to how the person perceived the quality of the relationships that he or she possessed.
Though people may have a lot of social contact, Cole said, they may still experience loneliness if they do not feel close to those they interact with.
"It's about how you evaluate your network of social relationships," said Daniel Russell, a human development professor at Iowa State University and a co-author of the UCLA Loneliness Scale. "Is (your network) meeting your needs? What you want or don't want is the critical issue."
Previous studies conducted over the last two decades showed a relationship between being socially isolated and having an increased risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, viral infections and some cancers, as well as death. But before now, researchers did not know exactly what kind of biology was responsible for the different health outcomes, Cole said.
"It's our first glimpse into the whole picture of how social factors regulate genomic function to influence human health," said Steve Cole, an associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine and lead researcher for the study.
The study is the first of its kind to use DNA microarrays, chips that contain collections of genetic probes, to analyze differences in gene activity between lonely and non-lonely people. In the study, Cole used the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a widely used psychological survey developed in the 1970s, to assess levels of social isolation and to classify people as lonely or non-lonely.
The researchers found that changes in the gene expression of the cells were not a function of the number of relationships or amount of interaction a person had but rather were related to how the person perceived the quality of the relationships that he or she possessed.
Though people may have a lot of social contact, Cole said, they may still experience loneliness if they do not feel close to those they interact with.
"It's about how you evaluate your network of social relationships," said Daniel Russell, a human development professor at Iowa State University and a co-author of the UCLA Loneliness Scale. "Is (your network) meeting your needs? What you want or don't want is the critical issue."
Previous studies conducted over the last two decades showed a relationship between being socially isolated and having an increased risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, viral infections and some cancers, as well as death. But before now, researchers did not know exactly what kind of biology was responsible for the different health outcomes, Cole said.
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