Fiber connectivity between the striatum and cortical and subcortical regions is associated with temperaments in Chinese males

Neural correlates of harm avoidance: a multimodal meta-analysis of brain structural and resting-state functional neuroimaging studies

Harm avoidance (HA) is a Cloninger personality trait that describes behavioural inhibition to avoid aversive stimuli. It serves as a predisposing factor that contributes to the development of mental disorders such as anxiety and major depressive disorder. Neuroimaging research has identified some brain anatomical and functional correlates of HA, but reported findings are inconsistent. We therefore conducted a multimodal meta-analysis of whole-brain structural and resting-state functional neuroimaging studies to identify the most stable neural substrate of HA. Included were a total of 10 structural voxel-based morphometry studies (11 datasets) and 13 functional positron emission tomography or single photon emission computed tomography studies (16 datasets) involving 3053 healthy participants without any psychiatric or neurological disorders evaluated for HA using the Three-Dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) or the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The meta-analysis revealed brain volumetric correlates of HA in parietal and temporal cortices, and resting-state functional correlates in prefrontal, temporal and parietal gray matter. Volumetric and functional correlates co-occurred in the left superior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus, and were dissociated in the left rectus gyrus. Our meta-analysis is the first study to give a comprehensive picture of the structural and functional correlates of HA, a contribution that may help bridge the grievous gap between the neurobiology of HA and the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of HA-related mental disorders.

Remembering unexpected beauty: Contributions of the ventral striatum to the processing of reward prediction errors regarding the facial attractiveness in face memory

The COVID-19 pandemic has led people to predict facial attractiveness from partially covered faces. Differences in the predicted and observed facial attractiveness (i.e., masked and unmasked faces, respectively) are defined as reward prediction error (RPE) in a social context. Cognitive neuroscience studies have elucidated the neural mechanisms underlying RPE-induced memory improvements in terms of monetary rewards. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying RPE-induced memory modulation in terms of social rewards. To elucidate this, the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated activity and functional connectivity during face encoding. In encoding trials, participants rated the predicted attractiveness of faces covered except for around the eyes (prediction phase) and then rated the observed attractiveness of these faces without any cover (outcome phase). The difference in ratings between these phases was defined as RPE in facial attractiveness, and RPE was categorized into positive RPE (increased RPE from the prediction to outcome phases), negative RPE (decreased RPE from the prediction to outcome phases), and non-RPE (no difference in RPE between the prediction and outcome phases). During retrieval, participants were presented with individual faces that had been seen and unseen in the encoding trials, and were required to judge whether or not each face had been seen in the encoding trials. Univariate activity in the ventral striatum (VS) exhibited a linear increase with increased RPE in facial attractiveness. In the multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA), activity patterns in the VS and surrounding areas (extended VS) significantly discriminated between positive/negative RPE and non-RPE. In the functional connectivity analysis, significant functional connectivity between the extended VS and the hippocampus was observed most frequently in positive RPE. Memory improvements by face-based RPE could be involved in functional networks between the extended VS (representing RPE) and the hippocampus, and the interaction could be modulated by RPE values in a social context.

Habenular connectivity predict weight loss and negative emotional-related eating behavior after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Habenular (Hb) processes negative emotions that may drive compulsive food-intake. Its functional changes were reported following laparoscopic-sleeve-gastrectomy (LSG). However, structural connectivity (SC) of Hb-homeostatic/hedonic circuits after LSG remains unclear. We selected regions implicated in homeostatic/hedonic regulation that have anatomical connections with Hb as regions-of-interest (ROIs), and used diffusion-tensor-imaging with probabilistic tractography to calculate SC between Hb and these ROIs in 30 obese participants before LSG (PreLSG) and at 12-month post-LSG (PostLSG12) and 30 normal-weight controls. Three-factor-eating-questionnaire (TFEQ) and Dutch-eating-behavior-questionnaire (DEBQ) were used to assess eating behaviors. LSG significantly decreased weight, negative emotion, and improved self-reported eating behavior. LSG increased SC between the Hb and homeostatic/hedonic regions including hypothalamus (Hy), bilateral superior frontal gyri (SFG), left amygdala (AMY), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). TFEQ-hunger negatively correlated with SC of Hb-Hy at PostLSG12; and increased SC of Hb-Hy correlated with reduced depression and DEBQ-external eating. TFEQ-disinhibition negatively correlated with SC of Hb-bilateral SFG at PreLSG. Increased SC of Hb-left AMY correlated with reduced DEBQ-emotional eating. Higher percentage of total weight-loss negatively correlated with SC of Hb-left OFC at PreLSG. Enhanced SC of Hb-homeostatic/hedonic regulatory regions post-LSG may contribute to its beneficial effects in improving eating behaviors including negative emotional eating, and long-term weight-loss.

Novelty seeking is associated with increased body weight and orbitofrontal grey matter volume reduction

Novelty seeking (NS) has previously been identified as a personality trait that is associated with elevated body mass index (BMI) and obesity. Of note, both obesity and reduced impulse control - a core feature of NS - have previously been associated with grey matter volume (GMV) reductions in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Yet, it remains unknown, if body weight-related grey matter decline in the OFC might be explained by higher levels of NS. To address this question, we studied associations between NS, BMI and brain structure in 355 healthy subjects. Brain images were pre-processed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) was used to assess NS. NS and BMI were associated positively (r = .137, p = .01) with NS being a significant predictor of BMI (B = 0.172; SE B = 0.05; ß = 0.184; p = 0.001). Significant associations between BMI and GMV specifically in the OFC (x = -44, y = 56, z = -2, t(350) = 4.34, k = 5, p_FWE = 0.011) did not uphold when correcting for NS in the model. In turn, a significant negative association between NS and OFC GMV was found independent of BMI (x = -2, y = 48, z = -10, t(349) = 4.42, k = 88, p_FWE = 0.008). Body mass-related grey matter decrease outside the OFC could not be attributed to NS. Our results suggest that body-weight-related orbitofrontal grey matter reduction can at least partly be linked to higher levels of NS. Given the pivotal role of the OFC in overweight as well as cognitive domains such as impulse inhibition, executive control and reward processing, its association with NS seems to provide a tenable neurobiological correlate for future research.

Folding drives cortical thickness variations

The cortical thickness is a characteristic biomarker for a wide variety of neurological disorders. While the structural organization of the cerebral cortex is tightly regulated and evolutionarily preserved, its thickness varies widely between 1.5 and 4.5 mm across the healthy adult human brain. It remains unclear whether these thickness variations are a cause or consequence of cortical development. Recent studies suggest that cortical thickness variations are primarily a result of genetic effects. Previous studies showed that a simple homogeneous bilayered system with a growing layer on an elastic substrate undergoes a unique symmetry breaking into a spatially heterogeneous system with discrete gyri and sulci. Here, we expand on that work to explore the evolution of cortical thickness variations over time to support our finding that cortical pattern formation and thickness variations can be explained - at least in part - by the physical forces that emerge during cortical folding. Strikingly, as growth progresses, the developing gyri universally thicken and the sulci thin, even in the complete absence of regional information. Using magnetic resonance images, we demonstrate that these naturally emerging thickness variations agree with the cortical folding pattern in n = 9 healthy adult human brains, in n = 564 healthy human brains ages 7-64, and in n = 73 infant brains scanned at birth, and at ages one and two. Additionally, we show that cortical organoids develop similar patterns throughout their growth. Our results suggest that genetic, geometric, and physical events during brain development are closely interrelated. Understanding regional and temporal variations in cortical thickness can provide insight into the evolution and causative factors of neurological disorders, inform the diagnosis of neurological conditions, and assess the efficacy of treatment options.

Brain Connectivity, and Hormonal and Behavioral Correlates of Sustained Weight Loss in Obese Patients after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

The biological mediators that support cognitive-control and long-term weight-loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) remain unclear. We measured peripheral appetitive hormones and brain functional-connectivity (FC) using magnetic-resonance-imaging with food cue-reactivity task in 25 obese participants at pre, 1 month, and 6 month after LSG, and compared with 30 normal weight controls. We also used diffusion-tensor-imaging to explore whether LSG increases brain structural-connectivity (SC) of regions involved in food cue-reactivity. LSG significantly decreased BMI, craving for high-calorie food cues, ghrelin, insulin, and leptin levels, and increased self-reported cognitive-control of eating behavior. LSG increased FC between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) and increased SC between DLPFC and ACC at 1 month and 6 month after LSG. Reduction in BMI correlated negatively with increased FC of right DLPFC-pgACC at 1 month and with increased SC of DLPFC-ACC at 1 month and 6 month after LSG. Reduction in craving for high-calorie food cues correlated negatively with increased FC of DLPFC-pgACC at 6 month after LSG. Additionally, SC of DLPFC-ACC mediated the relationship between lower ghrelin levels and greater cognitive control. These findings provide evidence that LSG improved functional and structural connectivity in prefrontal regions, which contribute to enhanced cognitive-control and sustained weight-loss following surgery.

Mechanism differences between typical yin and typical yang personality individuals assessed by Five-Pattern Personality Inventory (FPPI): Evidence from resting-state brain functional networks

BACKGROUND

Most studies assessing brain-personality mechanisms have used Western personality questionnaires. However, Western personality questionnaires may not objectively reflect the personality characteristics of individuals in Eastern cultures such as China. Hence, we adopted the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the Chinese localized scale, FPPI, to explore the brain mechanisms differences of typical yin and typical yang personalities of individuals in China.

METHODS

30 typical yin personality participants (TYI) and 34 typical yang personality participants (TYA) were enrolled according to the FPPI. The group differences of the functional brain networks among 90 specific brain regions were mapped using fMRI data and then analyzed by the conventional network metrics (CNM) and frequency subgraph mining (FSM).

RESULTS

The CNM and FSM differences between two typical personality groups were traced to the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices. The yin group, reflecting the rich emotions and feelings of individuals, showed higher betweenness centrality (BCi) and nodal efficiency (Ei) values in putamen and middle frontal gyrus. The yang group, reflecting active behaviors and tendency to adapting to the changing surroundings, showed higher BCi and Ei values in precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule, brain areas in the default mode network (DMN).

CONCLUSION

These results supplied evidence for the neurobiological differences between typical yin and typical yang personality participants based on Chinese culture. These results also provide a new perspective to help researchers understand brain mechanism differences between yin and yang personality groups in the Chinese culture.

Linking personality and brain anatomy: a structural MRI approach to Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) proposes a widely used taxonomy of human personality linked to individual differences at both behavioral and neuropsychological levels that describe a predisposition to psychopathology. However, the body of RST research was based on animal findings, and little is known about their anatomical correspondence in humans. Here we set out to investigate MRI structural correlates (i.e. voxel-based morphometry) of the main personality dimensions proposed by the RST in a group of 400 healthy young adults who completed the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). Sensitivity to punishment scores correlated positively with the gray matter volume in the amygdala, whereas sensitivity to reward scores correlated negatively with the volume in the left lateral and medial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, a negative relationship was found between the striatal volume and the reward sensitivity trait, but only for male participants. The present results support the neuropsychological basis of the RST by linking punishment and reward sensitivity to anatomical differences in limbic and frontostriatal regions, respectively. These results are interpreted based on previous literature related to externalizing and internalizing disorders, and they highlight the possible role of SPSRQ as a measure of proneness to these disorders.

Uncovering the complex genetics of human character

Human personality is 30-60% heritable according to twin and adoption studies. Hundreds of genetic variants are expected to influence its complex development, but few have been identified. We used a machine learning method for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to uncover complex genotypic-phenotypic networks and environmental interactions. The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) measured the self-regulatory components of personality critical for health (i.e., the character traits of self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence). In a discovery sample of 2149 healthy Finns, we identified sets of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that cluster within particular individuals (i.e., SNP sets) regardless of phenotype. Second, we identified five clusters of people with distinct profiles of character traits regardless of genotype. Third, we found 42 SNP sets that identified 727 gene loci and were significantly associated with one or more of the character profiles. Each character profile was related to different SNP sets with distinct molecular processes and neuronal functions. Environmental influences measured in childhood and adulthood had small but significant effects. We confirmed the replicability of 95% of the 42 SNP sets in healthy Korean and German samples, as well as their associations with character. The identified SNPs explained nearly all the heritability expected for character in each sample (50 to 58%). We conclude that self-regulatory personality traits are strongly influenced by organized interactions among more than 700 genes despite variable cultures and environments. These gene sets modulate specific molecular processes in brain for intentional goal-setting, self-reflection, empathy, and episodic learning and memory.

Uncovering the complex genetics of human temperament

Experimental studies of learning suggest that human temperament may depend on the molecular mechanisms for associative conditioning, which are highly conserved in animals. The main genetic pathways for associative conditioning are known in experimental animals, but have not been identified in prior genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of human temperament. We used a data-driven machine learning method for GWAS to uncover the complex genotypic-phenotypic networks and environmental interactions related to human temperament. In a discovery sample of 2149 healthy Finns, we identified sets of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that cluster within particular individuals (i.e., SNP sets) regardless of phenotype. Second, we identified 3 clusters of people with distinct temperament profiles measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory regardless of genotype. Third, we found 51 SNP sets that identified 736 gene loci and were significantly associated with temperament. The identified genes were enriched in pathways activated by associative conditioning in animals, including the ERK, PI3K, and PKC pathways. 74% of the identified genes were unique to a specific temperament profile. Environmental influences measured in childhood and adulthood had small but significant effects. We confirmed the replicability of the 51 Finnish SNP sets in healthy Korean (90%) and German samples (89%), as well as their associations with temperament. The identified SNPs explained nearly all the heritability expected in each sample (37-53%) despite variable cultures and environments. We conclude that human temperament is strongly influenced by more than 700 genes that modulate associative conditioning by molecular processes for synaptic plasticity and long-term memory.

The complex genetics and biology of human temperament: a review of traditional concepts in relation to new molecular findings

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have shown that temperament is strongly influenced by more than 700 genes that modulate associative conditioning by molecular processes for synaptic plasticity and long-term learning and memory. The results were replicated in three independent samples despite variable cultures and environments. The identified genes were enriched in pathways activated by behavioral conditioning in animals, including the two major molecular pathways for response to extracellular stimuli, the Ras-MEK-ERK and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR cascades. These pathways are activated by a wide variety of physiological and psychosocial stimuli that vary in positive and negative valence and in consequences for health and survival. Changes in these pathways are orchestrated to maintain cellular homeostasis despite changing conditions by modulating temperament and its circadian and seasonal rhythms. In this review we first consider traditional concepts of temperament in relation to the new genetic findings by examining the partial overlap of alternative measures of temperament. Then we propose a definition of temperament as the disposition of a person to learn how to behave, react emotionally, and form attachments automatically by associative conditioning. This definition provides necessary and sufficient criteria to distinguish temperament from other aspects of personality that become integrated with it across the life span. We describe the effects of specific stimuli on the molecular processes underlying temperament from functional, developmental, and evolutionary perspectives. Our new knowledge can improve communication among investigators, increase the power and efficacy of clinical trials, and improve the effectiveness of treatment of personality and its disorders.

The Assertive Brain: Anterior Cingulate Phosphocreatine plus Creatine Levels Correlate With Self-Directedness in Healthy Adolescents

Despite various advances in the study of the neurobiological underpinnings of personality traits, the specific neural correlates associated with character and temperament traits are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by exploring the biochemical basis of personality, which is explored with the temperament and character inventory (TCI), during brain development in a sample of adolescents. Twenty-six healthy adolescents (aged between 13 and 21 years; 17 males and 9 females) with behavioral and emotional problems underwent a TCI evaluation and a 3T single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) acquisition of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Absolute metabolite levels were estimated using LCModel: significant correlations between metabolite levels and selective TCI scales were identified. Specifically, phosphocreatine plus creatine (PCr+Cre) significantly correlated with self-directedness, positively, and with a self-transcendence (ST), negatively, while glycerophosphocholine plus phosphocholine (GPC+PC) and myo-inositol negatively correlated with ST. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting associations of brain metabolites with personality traits in adolescents. Therefore, our results represent a step forward for personality neuroscience within the study of biochemical systems and brain structures.

Connectome-based individualized prediction of temperament trait scores

Temperament consists of multi-dimensional traits that affect various domains of human life. Evidence has shown functional connectome-based predictive models are powerful predictors of cognitive abilities. Putatively, individuals' innate temperament traits may be predictable by unique patterns of brain functional connectivity (FC) as well. However, quantitative prediction for multiple temperament traits at the individual level has not yet been studied. Therefore, we were motivated to realize the individualized prediction of four temperament traits (novelty seeking [NS], harm avoidance [HA], reward dependence [RD] and persistence [PS]) using whole-brain FC. Specifically, a multivariate prediction framework integrating feature selection and sparse regression was applied to resting-state fMRI data from 360 college students, resulting in 4 connectome-based predictive models that enabled prediction of temperament scores for unseen subjects in cross-validation. More importantly, predictive models for HA and NS could be successfully generalized to two relevant personality traits for unseen individuals, i.e., neuroticism and extraversion, in an independent dataset. In four temperament trait predictions, brain connectivities that show top contributing power commonly concentrated on the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, amygdala, and cingulate gyrus. Finally, across independent datasets and multiple traits, we show person's temperament traits can be reliably predicted using functional connectivity strength within frontal-subcortical circuits, indicating that human social and behavioral performance can be characterized by specific brain connectivity profile.

A Multivariate Behavior Genetic Investigation of Dual-Systems Models of Alcohol Involvement

OBJECTIVE

Dual-systems models hypothesize that individuals who tend to be drawn to risky behavior and are low in self-control are at greatest risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Importantly, these models assume that behavioral approach tendencies and self-control are distinct. This study investigated hypotheses and assumptions central to dual-systems models.

METHOD

Participants were 3,509 members of a national twin registry (58% female). Structured interviews assessed alcohol use and AUD symptoms. Self-report questionnaires assessed individual differences in approach tendencies, namely for general risky behavior (sensation seeking) and substance use (positive expectancies), and behavioral control. Regression models tested nonadditive, interaction effects on alcohol involvement, as proposed by the dual-systems model. Multivariate behavior genetic models investigated the incremental validity of these interaction effects and whether approach tendencies and behavioral control explain distinct variance in alcohol involvement.

RESULTS

In regression models, we found interaction effects consistent with the dual-systems model for women but in the opposite direction for men. After accounting for additive main effects in behavior genetic models, however, these interaction effects played a negligible role phenotypically and genetically. Further, sensation seeking and positive expectancies explained phenotypic and genetic variance in alcohol involvement that was distinct from behavioral control. Behavioral control, however, did not explain distinct variance in alcohol involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to dual-systems models, this study suggests that all of the variance in alcohol involvement explained by behavioral control is also shared with the tendency to engage in risky behavior (sensation seeking) and substance use (positive expectancies). Further, interaction effects central to dual-systems models failed to explain additional variance beyond basic main effects. Thus, more parsimonious models may better explain AUD.

Differential Associations of Distinct Forms of Childhood Adversity With Neurobehavioral Measures of Reward Processing: A Developmental Pathway to Depression

Childhood adversity is associated with altered reward processing, but little is known about whether this varies across distinct types of adversity. In a sample of 94 children (6-19 years), we investigated whether experiences of material deprivation, emotional deprivation, and trauma have differential associations with reward-related behavior and white matter microstructure in tracts involved in reward processing. Material deprivation (food insecurity), but not emotional deprivation or trauma, was associated with poor reward performance. Adversity-related influences on the integrity of white matter microstructure in frontostriatal tracts varied across childhood adversity types, and reductions in frontostriatal white matter integrity mediated the association of food insecurity with depressive symptoms. These findings document distinct behavioral and neurodevelopmental consequences of specific forms of adversity that have implications for psychopathology risk.

Striatum-Centered Fiber Connectivity Is Associated with the Personality Trait of Cooperativeness

Cooperativeness is an essential behavioral trait evolved to facilitate group living. Social and cognitive mechanisms involved in cooperation (e.g., motivation, reward encoding, action evaluation, and executive functions) are sub-served by the striatal-projected circuits, whose physical existence has been confirmed by animal studies, human postmortem studies, and in vivo human brain studies. The current study investigated the associations between Cooperativeness and fiber connectivities from the striatum to nine subcortical and cortical regions, including the amygdala, hippocampus, medial orbitofrontal cortex, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex/retrosplenial cortex, dorsal cingulate cortex, and rostral cingulate cortex. Results showed that Cooperativeness was negatively correlated with fiber connectivity for the cognitive control system (from the dorsal caudate to the rostral cingulate cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex), but not with fiber connectivity for the social cognitive system (e.g., connectivity with the medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala). These results partially supported Declerck et al.’s (2013) cognitive neural model of the role of cognitive control and social cognition in cooperation.

Sex Differences in Fiber Connection between the Striatum and Subcortical and Cortical Regions

The striatum is an important subcortical structure with extensive connections to other regions of the brain. These connections are believed to play important roles in behaviors such as reward-related processes and impulse control, which show significant sex differences. However, little is known about sex differences in the striatum-projected fiber connectivity. The current study examined sex differences between 50 Chinese males and 79 Chinese females in their fiber connections between the striatum and nine selected cortical and subcortical regions. Despite overall similarities, males showed stronger fiber connections between the left caudate and rostral cingulate cortex, between the right putamen and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, between the bilateral putamen and the ventro-lateral prefrontal cortex, and between the right caudate and the ventro-lateral prefrontal cortex, whereas females showed stronger fiber connections between the right putamen and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, between bilateral caudate and hippocampus, and between the left putamen and hippocampus. These findings help us to understand sex differences in the striatum-projected fiber connections and their implications for sex differences in behaviors.

A Hedonism Hub in the Human Brain

Human values are abstract ideals that motivate behavior. The motivational nature of human values raises the possibility that they might be underpinned by brain structures that are particularly involved in motivated behavior and reward processing. We hypothesized that variation in subcortical hubs of the reward system and their main connecting pathway, the superolateral medial forebrain bundle (slMFB) is associated with individual value orientation. We conducted Pearson's correlation between the scores of 10 human values and the volumes of 14 subcortical structures and microstructural properties of the medial forebrain bundle in a sample of 87 participants, correcting for multiple comparisons (i.e.,190). We found a positive association between the value that people attach to hedonism and the volume of the left globus pallidus (GP).We then tested whether microstructural parameters (i.e., fractional anisotropy and myelin volume fraction) of the slMFB, which connects with the GP, are also associated to hedonism and found a significant, albeit in an uncorrected level, positive association between the myelin volume fraction within the left slMFB and hedonism scores. This is the first study to elucidate the relationship between the importance people attach to the human value of hedonism and structural variation in reward-related subcortical brain regions.

Altered striatal circuits underlie characteristic personality traits in Parkinson's disease

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have been suggested to share personality traits characterised by low novelty-seeking and high harm-avoidance. Although a link between novelty-seeking and dopamine is hypothesised, the link is not fully supported by 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-dopa positron emission tomography (PET) studies. Meanwhile, tractography studies with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) link personality to the connectivity of the striatum in healthy subjects. Here, we investigated neurochemical and anatomical correlates of characteristic personality traits in PD. Sixteen PD patients and 28 healthy controls were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory. All patients and 17 randomly selected controls were scanned with 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-fluorophenyl)-[N-(11)C-methyl]tropane ([(11)C]CFT) PET to measure striatal dopamine transporter availability. All subjects were scanned with MRI to evaluate the connectivity of the striatum using probabilistic tractography. PET findings revealed no correlation of novelty-seeking and harm-avoidance with [(11)C]CFT uptake in patients or controls. Novelty-seeking correlated positively with the connectivity strength of the striatum with the hippocampus and amygdala in both patients and controls. Harm-avoidance and the fibre connectivity strength of the striatum including ventral area with the amygdala correlated negatively in patients and positively in controls, which differed significantly between the groups. Our data support the notion that the fibre connectivity of the striatum with limbic and frontal areas underlies the personality profile. Furthermore, our findings suggest that higher harm-avoidance in PD is linked to alterations of the network, including the nucleus accumbens and amygdala.

Association between neurological soft signs, temperament and character in patients with schizophrenia and non-psychotic relatives

The heritability of schizophrenia and most personality traits has been well established, but the role of personality in susceptibility to schizophrenia remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to test for an association between personality traits and Neurological Soft Signs (NSS), a well-known biological marker of schizophrenia, in non-psychotic relatives of patients with schizophrenia. For this purpose, we evaluated the NSS scale and personality measured by the Temperament and Character inventory (TCI-R) in three groups of subjects: 29 patients with schizophrenia, 24 unaffected relatives and 37 controls. The results showed that patients with schizophrenia were more asocial (higher harm avoidance and lower reward dependence), more perseverative (higher persistence), and more schizotypal (lower self-directedness and cooperativeness, higher self-transcendence). The unaffected relatives showed higher harm avoidance, lower self-directedness and cooperativeness than the healthy controls. Higher NSS scores and sub-scores were found in patients and non-psychotic relatives compared with the controls. Among all the patients, total NSS scores were positively correlated with harm avoidance but negatively correlated with novelty seeking and persistence. Total NSS were also correlated with low scores on self-directedness and cooperativeness, which are indicators of personality disorder. Our results show that susceptibility to NSS and to schizophrenia are both related to individual differences in the temperament and character features in non-psychotic relatives of patients with schizophrenia. High harm avoidance, low persistence, low self-directedness and low cooperativeness contribute to both the risk of NSS and schizophrenia. These findings highlight the value of using both assessments to study high risk populations.

Altered corticostriatal functional connectivity in individuals with high social anhedonia

BACKGROUND

Dysregulation of the striatum and altered corticostriatal connectivity have been associated with psychotic disorders. Social anhedonia has been identified as a predictor for the development of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine corticostriatal functional connectivity in individuals with high social anhedonia.

METHOD

Twenty-one participants with high social anhedonia score and 30 with low social anhedonia score measured by the Chinese version of the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale were recruited from university undergraduates (age 17-21 years) to undergo resting-state functional MRI scans. Six subdivisions of the striatum in each hemisphere were defined as seeds. Voxel-wise functional connectivity analyses were conducted between each seed and the whole brain voxels, followed by repeated-measures ANOVA for the group effect.

RESULTS

Participants with high social anhedonia showed hyper-connectivity between the ventral striatum and the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula, and between the dorsal striatum and the motor cortex. Hypo-connectivity in participants with high social anhedonia was also observed between the ventral striatum and the posterior cingulate cortex. Partial correlation analyses further showed that the functional connectivity between the ventral striatum and the prefrontal cortex was associated with pleasure experience and emotional suppression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that altered corticostriatal connectivity can be found in participants with high levels of social anhedonia. Since social anhedonia has been considered a predictor for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, our results may provide novel evidence on the early changes in brain functional connectivity in at-risk individuals.

Variation in the Williams syndrome GTF2I gene and anxiety proneness interactively affect prefrontal cortical response to aversive stimuli

Characterizing the molecular mechanisms underlying the heritability of complex behavioral traits such as human anxiety remains a challenging endeavor for behavioral neuroscience. Copy-number variation (CNV) in the general transcription factor gene, GTF2I, located in the 7q11.23 chromosomal region that is hemideleted in Williams syndrome and duplicated in the 7q11.23 duplication syndrome (Dup7), is associated with gene-dose-dependent anxiety in mouse models and in both Williams syndrome and Dup7. Because of this recent preclinical and clinical identification of a genetic influence on anxiety, we examined whether sequence variation in GTF2I, specifically the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2527367, interacts with trait and state anxiety to collectively impact neural response to anxiety-laden social stimuli. Two hundred and sixty healthy adults completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire Harm Avoidance (HA) subscale, a trait measure of anxiety proneness, and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while matching aversive (fearful or angry) facial identity. We found an interaction between GTF2I allelic variations and HA that affects brain response: in individuals homozygous for the major allele, there was no correlation between HA and whole-brain response to aversive cues, whereas in heterozygotes and individuals homozygous for the minor allele, there was a positive correlation between HA sub-scores and a selective dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) responsivity during the processing of aversive stimuli. These results demonstrate that sequence variation in the GTF2I gene influences the relationship between trait anxiety and brain response to aversive social cues in healthy individuals, supporting a role for this neurogenetic mechanism in anxiety.

Perceptual, cognitive, and personality rigidity in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with motor and non-motor rigidity symptoms (e.g., cognitive and personality). The question is raised as to whether rigidity in PD also extends to perception, and if so, whether perceptual, cognitive, and personality rigidities are correlated. Bistable stimuli were presented to 28 non-demented individuals with PD and 26 normal control adults (NC). Necker cube perception and binocular rivalry were examined during passive viewing, and the Necker cube was additionally used for two volitional-control conditions: Hold one percept in front, and Switch between the two percepts. Relative to passive viewing, PD were significantly less able than NC to reduce dominance durations in the Switch condition, indicating perceptual rigidity. Tests of cognitive flexibility and a personality questionnaire were administered to explore the association with perceptual rigidity. Cognitive flexibility was not correlated with perceptual rigidity for either group. Personality (novelty seeking) correlated with dominance durations on Necker passive viewing for PD but not NC. The results indicate the presence in mild-moderate PD of perceptual rigidity and suggest shared neural substrates with novelty seeking, but functional divergence from those supporting cognitive flexibility. The possibility is raised that perceptual rigidity may be a harbinger of cognitive inflexibility later in the disease course.