Neural correlates of intolerance of uncertainty

Many future events are unpredictable, which is considered unacceptable by individuals with an intolerance of uncertainty (IU). We investigated the influence of two related personality traits, IU and habitual worrying on neural correlates of affective uncertainty with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Thirty females viewed a warning cue that always preceded an aversive picture, a safety cue that always preceded a neutral picture and an uncertainty cue that signaled that an aversive or a neutral picture might be shown (probability: 50%:50%). The processing of uncertainty was associated with activation of the posterior frontomedian cortex (PFMC), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex. IU and habitual worrying were positively correlated with amygdala activity during experienced uncertainty. Moreover, IU correlated negatively with PFMC activity. This response pattern might reflect that uncertainty is threatening to individuals high in IU and that they lack adequate cognitive mechanism to cope with the uncertainty.