Social Neuroscience of Disease Prevention

Many diseases have the potential to affect the brain. This is true of chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, heart disease), infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19, HIV), pre-disease states (e.g., hypertension, obesity), and specific traumatic events (e.g., concussion, stroke). On the other hand, neurodegenerative conditions and some psychiatric disorders are largely understood to be diseases of the brain itself. It is therefore quite natural to think about the brain as an outcome variable in relation to physical and psychiatric illness. However, it is also possible to consider the brain as a mechanism by which a disease may impact an entirely different outcome of interest, or even as a predictor of disease onset itself. Importantly, these effects may be revealed only under certain environmental conditions, and so the social context of behavior, illness and health are all important to consider. Social Neuroscience of Disease Prevention examines the role of the human brain in health and disease from the above multi-perspective framework, wherein the brain can be a predictor, mediator or outcome of physical and psychiatric illness. Importantly, the social context is examined carefully as a potential moderator of all of these effects, and the rate at which they occur. This book is written with a narrative style that is intended to prioritize readability, self-reflection and critical thought, more so than a pure computational or technical focus. It is appropriate for scientists and trainees from a wide variety of backgrounds, including the medical sciences, the neurosciences, allied health sciences and public health.