Social Regulation of the Neural Threat Response Predicts Subsequent Markers of Physical Health

Objective: Social support has been linked to a vast range of beneficial health outcomes. However, the physiological mechanisms of social support are not well characterized. Drawing on fMRI and health-related outcome data, this study aimed to understand how neural measures of “yielding” – the reduction of brain activity during social support – moderates the link between social support and health. Methods: We employed a dataset where seventy-eight participants around the age of 24 were exposed to the threat of shock when holding the hand of a partner. At age 28 – 30, participants returned for a health visit where inflammatory activity and heart rate variability were recorded. Results: Findings showed a significant interaction between dACC-related yielding and perceived social support on C-reactive protein levels (β = -0.95, se = 0.42, z = -2.24, p = 0.025, 95% CI [-1.77, -0.12]). We also found a significant interaction between hypothalamus-related yielding and perceived social support on baseline heart rate variability (β = 0.51, se = 0.23, z = 2.19, p = 0.028, 95% CI [0.05, 0.97]). Conclusions: Greater perceived social support was associated with lower CRP levels and greater baseline heart rate variability among individuals who were more likely to yield to social support in the dACC and hypothalamus years earlier. The current study highlights the construct of yielding in the link between social support and physical health.