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Review
. 2025 May 15;97(10):953-960.
doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.07.007. Epub 2024 Jul 15.

Role of Prefrontal Cortex Circuitry in Maintaining Social Homeostasis

Affiliations
Review

Role of Prefrontal Cortex Circuitry in Maintaining Social Homeostasis

SeungHyun Lee et al. Biol Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Homeostasis is a fundamental concept in biology and ensures the stability of life by maintaining the constancy of physiological processes. Recent years have witnessed a surge in research interest in these physiological processes, with a growing focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying social homeostasis. This shift in focus underscores our increasing understanding of the importance of social interactions and their impact on individual well-being. In this review, we explore the interconnected research across 3 primary categories: understanding the neural mechanisms influencing set points, defining contemporary factors that can disrupt social homeostasis, and identifying the potential contributions of social homeostatic failure in the development of psychiatric diseases. We also delve into the role of the prefrontal cortex and its circuitry in regulating social behavior, decision-making processes, and the manifestation of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Finally, we examine the influence of more recent factors such as growing social media exposure and the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, highlighting their disruptive effects. We also identify gaps in current literature through the analysis of research trends and propose future research directions to advance our understanding of social homeostasis, with implications for mental health interventions.

Keywords: COVID; Homeostasis; Media; Neuroscience; Prefrontal; Social.

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Figures

Figure 1)
Figure 1)
Three primary categories of research in social homeostasis and their associated keywords. (A.I. generated images from openart.ai and hotpot.ai are used in this figure.)
Figure 2)
Figure 2)
Population publications by keywords in PubMed search engine (2010-2023). The number of publications by keywords (top row), and the proportion of publications based on a total publication number of the main keyword (bottom row). (A) Results in a main keyword “Prefrontal Cortex”, and with sub-keywords “Mental Health”, “Anxiety”, and “Depression”. (B) Results in a main keyword “Social Media”, and with sub-keywords “Prefrontal Cortex”, “Mental Health”, “Anxiety”, and “Depression”. (C) Results in a main keyword “COVID-19”, and with sub-keywords “Prefrontal Cortex”, “Mental Health”, “Anxiety”, and “Depression”.

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