Being sociable can boost your brain

If you have lots of friends, this could go to your head. A study has shown that bits of the brain are bigger and better connected in people who have lots of friends. And the more sociable they are, the bigger the brain boost. Parts of the brain are bigger and better connected in people who have lots of friends, a study has found The finding comes from Oxford University scientists who asked 18 men and women how many friends they had met, spoken to on the phone or emailed in the past month. The average number of friends contacted was around 20 but some were in touch with more than 40 people. Others only made contact with ten pals. Scans showed that around half a dozen brain regions were bigger in those who were more sociable - and the more friends someone had, the larger the areas were. One of the sociability regions was the anterior cingulate cortex, an area we use to keep track of what other people are doing. However, it is thought that other brain regions, which aren't used when socialising, shrink in comparison The scans showed that connections between this area and another that we use to work out how others are thinking and feeling were particularly strong in sociable types. The Society for Neuroscience’s annual conference also heard that there were strong connections between the various areas involved in sociability. Researcher MaryAnn Noonan said: ‘In more sociable humans, perhaps these communication pathways are more like motorways than windy country roads, making information processing more efficient and better.’ With earlier work in monkeys producing similar results, the researchers think it is not the case that sociable people are simply born with brains that are better wired for friendship. Instead, they believe that people with lots of friends use certain brain regions more often, leading to them growing to keep up with the social demands. Dr Noonan said: ‘If I hedged my bets, I’d say the brain is changing in response to social network size. 'But that is not to say that there isn’t a genetic influence, so that if you come from a sociable family, your brain is predisposed to that.’ It is hoped that learning more about how the brain reacts in social situations could lead to new treatments for autism, schizophrenia and other conditions in which people struggle to interact with others. However, sociable types should note that the finding doesn’t mean that they have bigger brains overall. It is thought that other brain regions, which aren’t used when they are out socialising, shrink in compensation. So friends socialise today. Make more friend and make your brain bigger and better.