Social influences on neuroplasticity: stress and interventions to promote well-being
Open accessAbstract
Experiential factors shape the neural circuits underlying social and emotional behavior from the prenatal period to the end of life. These factors include both incidental influences, such as early adversity, and intentional influences that can be produced in humans through specific interventions designed to promote prosocial behavior and well-being. Here we review important extant evidence in animal models and humans. Although the precise mechanisms of plasticity are still not fully understood, moderate to severe stress appears to increase the growth of several sectors of the amygdala, whereas the effects in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex tend to be opposite. Structural and functional changes in the brain have been observed with cognitive therapy and certain forms of meditation and lead to the suggestion that well-being and other prosocial characteristics might be enhanced through training.
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Several promising interventions have shown that purpose, along with other facets of psychological well-being, can be improved for greater segments of the population.
“Several promising interventions have shown that purpose, along with other facets of psychological well-being, can be improved for greater segments of the population (10, 51).”
From Purpose in life and use of preventive health care services (2014) · cites this paper as [51]
The Introduction describes well-being as partly trainable, and the Prosocial interventions and training section reports gains from interventions, including large school-based programs. Our copy does not establish that these interventions improve purpose specifically or that their benefits extend to greater segments of the population. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPreventive and remediation interventions foster neuroplasticity-related adaptations in brain regions involved in emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility.
“All these preventive and remediation interventions, to varying degrees, foster neuroplasticity-related adaptations in brain regions involved in emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility [186-188].”
From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [186]
The Summary, conclusions and implications reports structural and functional changes in prefrontal and amygdala regions after interventions and links their connections to emotion regulation. But the Introduction says evidence for some interventions is mostly behavioral and their mechanisms have not been systematically examined. The paper therefore does not establish that all the preventive and remediation interventions mentioned produce these brain adaptations, or specifically locate them in regions involved in cognitive flexibility. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredGrowing evidence suggests that interventions overtly designed to enhance well-being can improve behavioral and biological outcomes in lasting ways.
“Furthermore, growing evidence suggests that interventions (that are overtly designed to enhance well-being) can improve behavioral and biological outcomes in lasting ways (51).”
From Purpose in life and use of preventive health care services (2014) · cites this paper as [51]
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References 103 · Cited by 892
- Authors
- Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Rockefeller University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Davidson, Richard J
- McEwen, Bruce S
- Venue
- Nature Neuroscience
- Published
- 2012-04-15
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 689-695
- ISSN
- 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-1726
- PMC
- PMC3491815
- OpenAlex
- W1970780234
- Cited by
- 892
- References
- 103
- Citations by year
- 2026: 67 · 2025: 90 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 93 · 2017: 64 · 2016: 56 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 70 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 4.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (5P01 MH58911, R01 MH41256, P50MH058911, R01MH041256, R01MH43454, P50MH084051, R01MH043454)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (P01AT004952)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P30HD003352)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- neuroplasticity, social influence, stress, childhood adversity, well-being, prosocial behavior, amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, cognitive therapy, meditation, brain structural changes, emotional behavior
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Brain Mapping, Emotions, Health, Humans, Neuronal Plasticity, Social Behavior, Stress, Psychological
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