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Adolescent subgenual anterior cingulate activity is related to harm avoidance
Tony T Yang1, Alan N Simmons, Scott C Matthews
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California 92123, USA. tyang@ucsd.edu
Neuroreport
|November 27, 2008
Summary
This study reveals that higher harm avoidance in adolescents is linked to greater brain activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) during inhibitory control tasks, establishing a novel personality-brain connection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Adult studies link the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) to affective processing and inhibitory control.
- Limited understanding exists regarding sgACC function in adolescent inhibition.
- No prior research connects adolescent personality to sgACC activity during inhibition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between personality traits and sgACC brain activity in healthy adolescents.
- To explore how inhibition-associated sgACC response varies with personality in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen healthy adolescents (13-17 years) participated.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used.
- A parametric stop-signal task assessed inhibitory control.
Main Results:
- A significant positive association was found between higher harm avoidance scores and increased inhibition-related sgACC activity.
- This suggests personality influences neural mechanisms of control in adolescence.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence linking personality characteristics to specific sgACC activation patterns in adolescents.
- Findings highlight the role of the sgACC in mediating personality-trait influences on inhibitory control during adolescent development.
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