A Gene that Makes You Ache

Physical pain may have forced early humans to stay together in groups

A social snub can actually deliver a painful blow. A rare form of mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene linked with physical pain is also associated with a person’s sensitivity to rejection, a new study has found. In the study, 122 participants responded to statements such as, “I am very sensitive to any signs that a person might not want to talk to me.” Their saliva was also analysed for OPRM1. Then, researchers scanned the brains of participants during a virtual ball-tossing game, where virtual players stopped throwing the ball to them. Individuals with the OPRM1 variant were more sensitive to social rejection. Their brain showed more activity in regions linked with physical and social pain. Such social pain may have benefited our ancestors. Because social connection is so important, feeling hurt by not having social connections may have been an adaptive way to make sure humans keep them.

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