Morphological connectivity correlates with trait impulsivity in healthy adults

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Impulsivity is a key personality trait linked to maladaptive behaviors and mental disorders.
• Morphological connectivity (MC) is a novel measure of brain coordination.
• Understanding the neural underpinnings of impulsivity is crucial for mental health research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between impulsivity and morphological connectivity (MC) in the human brain.
• To explore how MC between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and other brain regions relates to self-reported impulsivity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized T1-weighted MRI data from 24 participants from the OpenfMRI project.
• Assessed MC by quantifying local morphological feature similarity between the ACC and association cortices.
• Correlated MC values with impulsivity scores measured by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS).

Main Results:

• BIS total scores correlated with MC between the ACC and the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and inferior temporal gyrus (ITG).
• ACC-IFG MC specifically correlated with motor impulsivity.
• ACC-ITG MC specifically correlated with attentional impulsivity.

Conclusions:

• The ACC, IFG, and ITG in the right hemisphere are implicated in neural networks modulating impulsivity.
• MC analysis is a valuable tool for understanding the neural correlates of personality and behavioral traits.
• Findings contribute to the neurobiological understanding of impulsivity and related disorders.