Natural Sciences Active Updated Aug 21, 2026

Brain synchrony tracks loneliness across generations

Researchers are using brain-scanning caps to measure interpersonal neural synchrony directly, rather than just self-reported closeness, while pairs of strangers spend weeks building a relationship. The stakes are whether this physiological signal can explain why intergenerational programs, often proposed as a fix for loneliness, work differently in the brain than same-age friendships do.