New information about how the brain processes social status is outlined in a study by researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Using functional MRI scans, they found that different brain areas are activated when a person moves up or down in social status or sees people who are socially superior or inferior. Brain circuitry activated by important events responded to potential change in social status as much as it did to winning money. The study was published in the April 24 issue of Neuron. ‘Our position in social hierarchies strongly influences motivation as well as physical and mental health. This first glimpse into how the brain processes that information advances our understanding of an important factor that can impact public health,’ NIMH Director Dr. Thomas R. Insel said in a prepared statement. Previous research has shown that social status has a strong effect on health. For example, one study of British civil servants found that the lower a person’s rank, the more likely they were to develop cardiovascular disease and die early. Psychological effects, such as having limited control over one’s life and interactions with others, may be one way that lower […]