Neural Processing of Stable and Unstable Social Hierarchy in Humans

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Neural Processing of Stable and Unstable Social Hierarchy in Humans Caroline F. Zink1, Yunxia Tong1, Qiang Chen2, Danielle S. Bassett1, Jason L. Stein1 and Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg1, 2, 3* 1 NIMH, NIH, Unit for Systems Neuroscience in Psychiatry, United States 2 NIMH, NIH, Neuroimaging Core Facility, United States 3 Central Institute of Mental Health, Germany Social hierarchies guide behavior in many species, including humans, where status also has an enormous impact on motivation and health. However, little is known about the underlying neural representation of social hierarchies in humans. In a recently published study [1], we identify dissociable neural responses to perceived social rank using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in an interactive, simulated social context. In both stable and unstable social hierarchies, viewing a superior individual differentially engaged perceptual-attentional, saliency, and cognitive systems, notably dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In the unstable hierarchy setting, additional regions related to emotional processing (amygdala), social cognition (medial prefrontal cortex), and behavioral readiness were recruited. These regions showed overlap with those responsive to candidate gene variation in the serotonergic system that have again been associated with hierarchical status. Furthermore, social hierarchical consequences of performance were neurally dissociable and of comparable salience to monetary reward, providing a neural basis for the high motivational value of status. These results identify neural mechanisms that may mediate the enormous influence of social status on human behavior and health.