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A research agenda for understanding how social inequality is linked to brain structure and function

Nature Human Behaviour volume 8, pages 20–31 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Consistent evidence documents powerful effects of social inequality on health, well-being and academic achievement. Yet research on whether social inequality may also be linked to brain structure and function has, until recently, been rare. Here we describe three methodological approaches that can be used to study this question—single site, single study; multi-site, single study; and spatial meta-analysis. We review empirical work that, using these approaches, has observed associations between neural outcomes and structural measures of social inequality—including structural stigma, community-level prejudice, gender inequality, neighbourhood disadvantage and the generosity of the social safety net for low-income families. We evaluate the relative strengths and limitations of these approaches, discuss ethical considerations and outline directions for future research. In doing so, we advocate for a paradigm shift in cognitive neuroscience that explicitly incorporates upstream structural and contextual factors, which we argue holds promise for uncovering the neural correlates of social inequality.

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Fig. 1: Childhood neighbourhood disadvantage is associated with greater amygdala reactivity.
Fig. 2: Association between family income and hippocampal volume is stronger in US states with higher costs of living, but weaker in US states with more generous anti-poverty policies.
Fig. 3: Spatial meta-analysis of the association between gender inequality in 29 countries and cortical structure.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Mark L. Hatzenbuehler, Katie A. McLaughlin, David G. Weissman & Mina Cikara

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Correspondence to Mark L. Hatzenbuehler.

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Hatzenbuehler, M.L., McLaughlin, K.A., Weissman, D.G. et al. A research agenda for understanding how social inequality is linked to brain structure and function. Nat Hum Behav 8, 20–31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01774-8

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