Hope and the brain: Trait hope mediates the protective role of medial orbitofrontal cortex spontaneous activity against anxiety

The bright side of words: Norms for 9000 Spanish words in seven discrete positive emotions

In recent years, assumptions about the existence of a single construct of happiness that accounts for all positive emotions have been questioned. Instead, several discrete positive emotions with their own neurobiological and psychological mechanisms have been proposed. Of note, the effects of positive emotions on language processing are not yet properly understood. Here we provide a database for a large set of 9000 Spanish words scored by 3437 participants in the positive emotions of awe, contentment, amusement, excitement, serenity, relief, and pleasure. We also report significant correlations between discrete positive emotions and several affective (e.g., valence, arousal, happiness, negative discrete emotions) and lexico-semantic (e.g., frequency of use, familiarity, concreteness, age of acquisition) characteristics of words. Finally, we analyze differences between words conveying a single emotion ("pure" emotion words) and those denoting more than one emotion ("mixed" emotion words). This study will provide researchers a rich source of information to do research that contributes to expanding the current knowledge on the role of positive emotions in language. The norms are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21533571.v2.

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex activation and neurofeedback modulation during episodic future thinking for individuals with suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) show less specificity and positivity during episodic future thinking (EFT). Here, we present findings from two studies aiming to (1) further our understanding of how STBs may relate to neural responsivity during EFT and (2) examine the feasibility of modulating EFT-related activation using real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf). Study 1 involved 30 individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD; half with STBs) who performed an EFT task during fMRI, for which they imagined personally-relevant future positive, negative, or neutral events. Positive EFT elicited greater ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activation compared to negative EFT. Importantly, the MDD + STB group exhibited reduced vmPFC activation across all EFT conditions compared to MDD-STB; although EFT fluency and subjective experience remained consistent across groups. Study 2 included rtfMRI-nf focused on vmPFC modulation during positive EFT for six participants with MDD + STBs. Results support the feasibility and acceptability of the rtfMRI-nf protocol and quantitative and qualitative observations are provided to help inform future, larger studies aiming to examine similar neurofeedback protocols. Results implicate vmPFC blunting as a promising treatment target for MDD + STBs and suggest rtfMRI-nf as one potential technique to explore for enhancing vmPFC engagement.

The biology of hope: Inflammatory and neuroendocrine profiles in ovarian cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

Although the concept of hope is highly relevant for cancer patients, little is known about its association with cancer-relevant biomarkers. Here we examined how hope was related to diurnal cortisol and interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine previously associated with tumor biology and survival in ovarian cancer. Secondly, we examined whether hope and hopelessness are distinctly associated with these biomarkers.

METHOD

Participants were 292 high-grade ovarian cancer patients who completed surveys and provided saliva samples 4x/daily for 3 days pre-surgery to assess diurnal cortisol. Blood (pre-surgery) and ascites were assessed for IL-6. Hope and hopelessness were assessed using standardized survey items from established scales (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; Profile of Mood States, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy). Two hopeless items were z-scored and combined into a composite for analysis. Regression models related these variables to nocturnal cortisol, cortisol slope, plasma and ascites IL-6, adjusting for cancer stage, BMI, age, and depression.

RESULTS

Greater hope was significantly related to a steeper cortisol slope, β = -0.193, p = 0.046, and lower night cortisol, β = -0.227, p = 0.018, plasma IL-6, β = -0.142, p = 0.033, and ascites IL-6, β = -0.290, p = 0.002. Secondary analyses including both hope and hopelessness showed similar patterns, with distinct relationships of hope with significantly lower nocturnal cortisol β = -0.233,p = 0.017 and ascites IL-6, β = -0.282,p = 0.003, and between hopelessness and a flatter cortisol slope, β = 0.211, p = 0.031.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest a biological signature of hope associated with less inflammation and more normalized diurnal cortisol in ovarian cancer. These findings have potential clinical utility but need replication with more diverse samples and validated assessments of hope.

Exploring Patients' Trust from a New Perspective. A Text-Analysis Study

The concept of trust has been extensively studied within the field of medicine. Yet, a list of factors that clearly influence patients' trust is still under debate. Moreover, the methodological approaches found in literature have been reported to be lacking in their assessments and measurements of trust relationships in the medical field although trust between a patient and medical provider has been proven to increase adherence and improve health outcomes. Hence, adding data to this debate and exploring a reliable method to explore the construct of trust is relevant. This study collects new evidence of the most salient indicators of patient trust by using a narrative approach and highlighting the potential of this method in collecting indicators that could be used to build training that aims to increase patients' trust. We used the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software for text analysis to examine the spontaneous narrations of episodes of trust and distrust within the doctor-patient relationship with a sample of 82 adult patients. Results demonstrate the role of the emotional aspects of the doctor-patient relationship. Data highlights the importance of doctors' benevolence toward patients, and positive emotions seem to be deeply connected with any experience of trust, which leads patients to feel more secure. Methods are presented to use these insights to construct mechanisms that establish medical trust and allow providers to implement effective interventions.

Emotional intelligence mediates the protective role of the orbitofrontal cortex spontaneous activity measured by fALFF against depressive and anxious symptoms in late adolescence

As a stable personality construct, trait emotional intelligence (TEI) refers to a battery of perceived emotion-related skills that make individuals behave effectively to adapt to the environment and maintain well-being. Abundant evidence has consistently shown that TEI is important for the outcomes of many mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety. However, the neural substrates involved in TEI and the underlying neurobehavioral mechanism of how TEI reduces depression and anxiety symptoms remain largely unknown. Herein, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a group of behavioral measures were applied to examine these questions among a large sample comprising 231 general adolescent students aged 16-20 years (52% female). Whole-brain correlation analysis and prediction analysis demonstrated that TEI was negatively linked with spontaneous activity (measured with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) in the bilateral medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a critical site implicated in emotion-related processes. Furthermore, structural equation modeling analysis found that TEI mediated the link of OFC spontaneous activity to depressive and anxious symptoms. Collectively, the current findings present new evidence for the neurofunctional bases of TEI and suggest a potential "brain-personality-symptom" pathway for alleviating depressive and anxious symptoms among students in late adolescence.

The Black radical imagination: a space of hope and possible futures

The radical imagination entails stepping outside the confines of the now and into the expansiveness of what could be. It has been described as the ability to dream of possible futures and bring these possibilities back to the present to drive social transformation. This perspective paper seeks to provide an overview of the radical imagination and its intersections with Afrofuturism, a framework and artistic epistemology that expresses the Black cultural experience through a space of hope where Blackness is integral. In this paper, I propose three processes that comprise the radical imagination: (1) imagining alternative Black futures, (2) radical hope, and (3) collective courage. I consider the neural networks that underlie each process and consider how the Black radical imagination is a portal through which aging Black adults experience hope and envision futures that drive social change. I conclude with considerations of what brain health and healing justice looks like for aging Black Americans- specifically, how invocation of the Black radical imagination may have positive brain health effects for a demographic group at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Conceptualizing psychological resilience through resting-state functional MRI in a mentally healthy population: a systematic review

Conceptualizations and operational definitions of psychological resilience vary across resilience neuroimaging studies. Data on the neural features of resilience among healthy individuals has been scarce. Furthermore, findings from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were inconsistent across studies. This systematic review summarized resting-state fMRI findings in different modalities from various operationally defined resilience in a mentally healthy population. The PubMed and MEDLINE databases were searched. Articles that focused on resting-state fMRI in relation to resilience, and published before 2022, were targeted. Orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula and amygdala, were reported the most from the 19 included studies. Regions in emotional network was reported the most from the included studies. The involvement of regions like amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex indicated the relationships between emotional processing and resilience. No common brain regions or neural pathways were identified across studies. The emotional network appears to be studied the most in association with resilience. Matching fMRI modalities and operational definitions of resilience across studies are essential for meta-analysis.

Methods for assessing change in brain plasticity at night and psychological resilience during daytime between repeated long-duration space missions

This study was designed to examine the feasibility of analyzing heart rate variability (HRV) data from repeat-flier astronauts at matching days on two separate missions to assess any effect of repeated missions on brain plasticity and psychological resilience, as conjectured by Demertzi. As an example, on the second mission of a healthy astronaut studied about 20 days after launch, sleep duration lengthened, sleep quality improved, and spectral power (ms²) co-varying with activity of the salience network (SN) increased at night. HF-component (0.15-0.50 Hz) increased by 61.55%, and HF-band (0.30-0.40 Hz) by 92.60%. Spectral power of HRV indices during daytime, which correlate negatively with psychological resilience, decreased, HF-component by 22.18% and HF-band by 37.26%. LF-component and LF-band, reflecting activity of the default mode network, did not change significantly. During the second mission, 24-h acrophases of HRV endpoints did not change but the 12-h acrophase of TF-HRV did (P < 0.0001), perhaps consolidating the circadian system to help adapt to space by taking advantage of brain plasticity at night and psychological resilience during daytime. While this N-of-1 study prevents drawing definitive conclusions, the methodology used herein to monitor markers of brain plasticity could pave the way for further studies that could add to the present results.

Hope for brain health: impacting the life course and society

Hope is a cognitive process by which an individual can identify their personal goals and develop actionable steps to achieve results. It has the potential to positively impact people's lives by building resilience, and can be meaningfully experienced at both the individual and group level. Despite this significance, there are sizable gaps in our understanding of the neurobiology of hope. In this perspective paper, the authors discuss why further research is needed on hope and its potency to be harnessed in society as a "tool" to promote brain health across healthy and patient populations. Avenues for future research in hope and the brain are proposed. The authors conclude by identifying strategies for the possible applications of hope in brain health promotion within the areas of technology, arts, media, and education.

Measurement structures of hope: A review of single-factor and two-factor models across hope scales

Snyder's theory of hope has been a cornerstone of hope research for over four decades. The original theory conceptualized hope as a two-factor model representing agency and pathways, however, recent studies have suggested a single-factor model may be the best fit for hope instruments. This has become more apparent as hope scales have been translated into different languages, across different cultures, and examining new domains. Currently, single and multiple factor models have been supported for most hope measures but will continue to be examined as we explore what hope means to unresearched populations and with new and varied contexts.

The powerful brain: Neural correlates of sense of power and hope

A sense of power refers to the perception that one can control and influence others' states by providing or withholding valued resources in an asymmetrical way, and which has been associated with greater hope. However, little is known about the neural bases underlying this association. The present study aimed to examine these phenomena in 261 healthy adolescent students by assessing resting-state brain activity (i.e., the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, ALFF) and connectivity (i.e., resting-state functional connectivity, RSFC). Whole-brain correlation analyses revealed that higher levels of perceived power were linked with reduced ALFF in the left thalamus and increased RSFC between the left thalamus and left superior temporal gyrus. Mediation analyses further showed that perceived power mediated the influence of the left thalamus activity on hope. Our results remained significant even after controlling for the head motion, age, and gender. Our findings contribute to the neurobiological basis of a sense of power and the neural mechanism underlying the relationship between a sense of power and hope.

Turkish validity and reliability of coronavirus anxiety scale

The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) was developed to differentiate individuals who were functionally impaired by anxiety about COVID-19 from those anxious, but not disabled by their emotional reactions to the disease. The aim of the present study is to validate the Turkish version of the CAS. The study was carried out in two stages. In the first phase, the validity and reliability study of the scale was conducted with 95 people. The single-factor structure of the scale was confirmed with exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis results. Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was found to be 0.86. In the second stage; the data were collected using the Turkish version of CASand Herth Hope scale. The scales were applied to 720 people. It was determined that there was a statistically significant relationship between total CAS scores and the Herth Hope Index. These findings revealed that the CAS was a valid and reliable measurement tool for evaluating the anxiety levels of individuals.

From Perceived Stress to Demoralization in Parkinson Disease: A Path Analysis

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to determine whether depression and anxiety are mediators between perceived stress and demoralization via a loss of the cognitive map to get out of the predicament manifesting as subjective incompetence.

METHODS

Ninety-five consecutive outpatients with Parkinson's disease were evaluated for perceived stress, depression, anxiety, subjective incompetence, and demoralization using reliable and valid scales. Inclusion criteria were ages 40-90, intact cognition, and no current history of substance use. The setting was a Movement Disorders Clinic at a university-affiliated hospital. The outcome variable was demoralization, selected a priori. Mediators between perceived stress and demoralization were examined using path analysis.

RESULTS

Depression, anxiety, and subjective incompetence were mediators between perceived stress and demoralization. Among all variables, subjective incompetence was the largest contributor to demoralization. Depression connected to demoralization indirectly via subjective incompetence (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), whereas anxiety bypassed subjective incompetence (β = -0.01, p = 0.882), connecting directly to demoralization (β = 0.37, p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

Early treatment and reversal of subjective incompetence and anxiety could potentially prevent the escalation of demoralization and the associated disruption in health-related quality of life and eventual suicide.

Emotional intelligence mediates the association between middle temporal gyrus gray matter volume and social anxiety in late adolescence

As a common mental health problem, social anxiety refers to the fear and avoidance of interacting in social or performance situations, which plays a crucial role in many health and social problems. Although a growing body of studies has explored the neuroanatomical alterations related to social anxiety in clinical patients, far fewer have examined the association between social anxiety and brain morphology in the general population, which may help us understand the neural underpinnings of social anxiety more comprehensively. Here, utilizing a voxel-based morphometry approach via structural magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated brain gray matter correlates of social anxiety in 231 recent graduates of the same high school grade. We found that social anxiety was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), which is a core brain area for cognitive processing of emotions and feelings. Critically, emotional intelligence mediated the impact of right MTG volume on social anxiety. Notably, our results persisted even when controlling for the effects of general anxiety and depression. Altogether, our research reveals right MTG gray matter volume as a neurostructural correlate of social anxiety in a general sample of adolescents and suggests a potential indirect effect of emotional intelligence on the association between gray matter volume and social anxiety.

An Emerging Preventive Mental Health Care Strategy: The Neurobiological and Functional Basis of Positive Psychological Traits

Even with the expanding burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, our approach to mental health care remains largely reactive rather than preventive. This trend is problematic because the majority of outpatient visits to primary care providers across the country is related to unmet mental health needs. Positive psychology has the potential to address these issues within mental health care and provide primary care providers with strategies to serve their patients more effectively. Positive psychology has many frameworks like hope, which can be measured using simple questionnaires in the waiting room. Moreover, there is a growing body of neurobiological evidence that lends credence to positive psychology concepts in the context of differential neuronal activation patterns. Many positive psychological instruments not only have high construct validity but also have connections to observable neurobiological differences tied to differences in psychosocial functioning. Despite the current evidence, we still need robust research that explores if such psychometric measurements and related interventions lead to clinically significant and favorable health outcomes in patients outside of controlled environments.

Increased resting-state activity in the cerebellum with mothers having less adaptive sensory processing and trait anxiety

Child‐rearing mothers with high levels of trait anxiety have a tendency for less adaptive sensory processing, which causes parenting stress. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this sensory processing and trait anxiety remain unclear. We aimed to determine the whole‐brain spontaneous neural activity and sensory processing characteristics in mothers with varying parenting stress levels. Using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we assessed mothers caring for more than one preschool aged (2–5 years) child and presenting with varying levels of sensory processing, trait anxiety, and parenting stress. Spontaneous neural activities in select brain regions were evaluated by whole‐brain correlation analyses based on the fractional amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuations (fALFF). We found significant positive correlations between levels of sensory processing with trait anxiety and parenting stress. Mothers having less adaptive sensory processing had significantly increased resting‐state network activities in the left lobule VI of the cerebellum. Increased fALFF values in the left lobule VI confirmed the mediation effect on the relationship between trait anxiety and sensory processing. A tendency for less adaptive sensory processing involving increased brain activity in lobule VI could be an indicator of maternal trait anxiety and the risk of parenting stress.

Goal setting and attaining: Neural correlates of positive coping style and hope

Trait hope focuses on individual goal-related thoughts and is assumed to be a critical indicator for one's mental health. However, the neurobiological basis of hope and the neurological mechanisms underlying the relationship between positive coping style (PCS) and hope (including the two dimensions of pathway thinking and agency thinking) are still largely unknown. Thus, this study explored the neural basis of trait hope by correlating the regional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) with the self-reported hope of 576 healthy first-year college students underwent RS-fMRI. Our results showed that trait hope was positively associated with PCS. A whole-brain correlation analysis provided early evidence that higher levels of trait hope were associated with decreased ALFF in the left frontal pole cortex (FPC). Additionally, pathway thinking was associated with decreased ALFF in FPC, increased ALFF in the right postcentral gyrus (PCG), decreased RSFC of the left FPC and left posterior cingulate cortex, the left FPC and right middle temporal gyrus, and the right PCG and left cerebellum. Furthermore, mediation analyses demonstrated that the PCG-cerebellum connectivity might link to pathway thinking through PCS and PCS might relate to trait hope through PCG-cerebellum connectivity. Our findings contribute to the neurobiological basis of hope and the neural mechanism underlying the relationship between trait hope and coping style.

Development of the Coronavirus Anxiety Model in the Elderly: Based on Hope and Health-Related Quality of Life With the Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support

This study examined the mediation role of perceived social support in the association between hope and health-related quality of life with coronavirus anxiety in the elderly. The research was conducted by descriptive method with a structural equations design. The population included all the over-60 elderly individuals residing in Sanandaj city, Iran, in 2021. Among them, 220 individuals were selected through available sampling method. To gather the data, the questionnaires of coronavirus anxiety, perceived social support, hope and health-related quality of life were used. Data analysis was conducted by using structural equations modeling and via SPSSv23 and AMOSv26 software. Data analysis indicated that there is a significant and negative relationship between hope, health-related quality of life, and perceived coronavirus anxiety among the elderly. Moreover, perceived social support plays a mediating role in the relationship of both hope and health-related quality of life with coronavirus anxiety. The present study provided an important insight regarding the mediating role of perceived social support in the relationship of hope and health-related quality of life with coronavirus anxiety the elderly. Through creating programs to hold suitable interventions for improving perceived social support, the COVID-19-related anxiety can be reduced during its prevalence.

The Role of Hope to Alleviate Anxiety in COVID-19 Outbreak among Community Dwellers: An Online Cross-sectional Survey

Introduction: The worldwide emergence of COVID-19 has been associated with diverse consequences, including anxiety. Hope is believed to act as a motivation to enable one to cope with the anxiety. This study was conducted to identify the role of hope in alleviating anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak during the primary phase among community dwellers in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 3,565 subjects with the convenience sampling method. Data collection tools used included the COVID-19 knowledge checklist, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaires and Snyder Hope Scale. Participants were asked to fill in the questionnaires online. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariate linear regression analysis). Results: Participants’ mean scores of anxiety and hope were 6.06±4.52 and 31.27±4.52, respectively. The results indicated that 27.1% of the changes in the anxiety scores were predictable with some of the variables examined in this study. A high score of hope was directly associated with a lower level of anxiety. In addition, the number of hours spent following news and information on COVID-19 was significantly related to anxiety level. Moreover, female gender, urban residence, and having relatives suffering from COVID-19 were significantly related to a higher level of anxiety (P<0.05). Conclusion: The morbidity and mortality associated with the COVID-19 outbreak had brought a lot of anxiety among community dwellers. Hope, potentially, can contribute to overcoming anxiety. Therefore, health policymakers can introduce appropriate social interventions to enable the community to cope with stress and anxiety. Keywords: Generalised anxiety disorder, hope, mental health, pandemic

Sex-linked neurofunctional basis of psychological resilience in late adolescence: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Psychological resilience refers to the ability to adapt effectively in the face of adversity, which is closely related to an individual's psychological and physical health and well-being. Although previous behavioural studies have shown sex differences in psychological resilience, little is known about the neural basis of sex differences in psychological resilience. Here, we measured amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) via resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the sex-linked neurofunctional basis of psychological resilience in 231 healthy adolescents. At the behavioural level, we replicated previous findings indicating that males are more resilient than females. At the neural level, we found sex differences in the relationship between psychological resilience and ALFF in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Specifically, males showed a positive correlation between psychological resilience and ALFF in the right OFC, while females showed a negative correlation in this region. The sex-specific association between psychological resilience and spontaneous brain activity might be dependent on differences in hormonal systems and brain development between male and female adolescents. Taken together, the results of our study might provide the first evidence of sex-specific neurofunctional substrates of psychological resilience in adolescents, emphasizing the vital role of sex effects in future psychological resilience-related studies.

Neurostructural correlates of hope: dispositional hope mediates the impact of the SMA gray matter volume on subjective well-being in late adolescence

There has been increasing interest in identifying factors to predict subjective well-being in the emerging field of positive psychology over the past two decades. Dispositional hope, which reflects one's goal-directed tendencies, including both pathway thinking (planning to meet goals) and agency thinking (goal-directed determination), has emerged as a stable predictor for subjective well-being. However, the neurobiological substrates of dispositional hope and the brain-hope mechanism for predicting subjective well-being remain unclear. Here, we examined these issues in 231 high school graduates within the same grade by estimating cortical gray matter volume (GMV) utilizing a voxel-based morphometry method based on structural magnetic resonance imaging. Whole-brain regression analyses and prediction analyses showed that higher dispositional hope was stably associated with greater GMV in the left supplementary motor area (SMA). Furthermore, mediation analyses revealed that dispositional hope mediated the relation between left SMA volume and subjective well-being. Critically, our results were obtained after adjusting for age, sex, family socioeconomic status and total GMV. Altogether, our study presents novel evidence for the neuroanatomical basis of dispositional hope and suggests an underlying indirect effect of dispositional hope on the link between brain gray matter structure and subjective well-being.

Conscientiousness mediates the link between brain structure and consideration of future consequence

The individual difference in valuing immediate and future outcomes is referred to as consideration of future consequences (CFC, including CFC-Future [CFC-F] and CFC-Immediate [CFC-I]), which significantly influences daily behaviour. Although CFC is believed to be affected by brain features and personalities, the relational model of brain correlates, personalities and CFC has yet to be determined. This study was designed to explore the brain structure related to CFC-F and CFC-I and the mediating role of conscientiousness. We adopted a voxel-based morphometry study and used grey matter density (GMD) as an indication of brain structure. The results showed that GMD in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) was positively associated with CFC-F; however, we did not find relevant regions affecting CFC-I. Furthermore, conscientiousness was found to mediate the relationship between GMD in the VMPFC and CFC-F. This study provides initial evidence concerning the neural basis of CFC-F and argues that the features of brain structure could be associated with CFC-F through related high-order personality traits. Additionally, the distinction between CFC-F and CFC-I may be based on differences in brain structure.

Anticipatory feelings: Neural correlates and linguistic markers

This review introduces anticipatory feelings (AF) as a new construct related to the process of anticipation and prediction of future events. AF, defined as the state of awareness of physiological and neurocognitive changes that occur within an oganism in the form of a process of adapting to future events, are an important component of anticipation and expectancy. They encompass bodily-related interoceptive and affective components and are influenced by intrapersonal and dispositional factors, such as optimism, hope, pessimism, or worry. In the present review, we consider evidence from animal and human research, including neuroimaging studies, to characterize the brain structures and brain networks involved in AF. The majority of studies reviewed revealed three brain regions involved in future oriented feelings: 1) the insula; 2) the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC); and 3) the amygdala. Moreover, these brain regions were confirmed by a meta-analysis, using a platform for large-scale, automated synthesis of fMRI data. Finally, by adopting a neurolinguistic and a big data approach, we illustrate how AF are expressed in language.

Victim Sensitivity and Its Neural Correlates Among Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

BACKGROUND

Dysfunctional beliefs about the self are common in the development of depressive symptoms, but it remains unclear how depressed patients respond to unfair treatment, both dispositionally and neurally. The present research is an attempt to explore the differences in sensitivity to injustice as a victim and its neural correlates in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) versus healthy controls.

METHODS

First episodic, drug-naïve patients with MDD (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30) were recruited to compare their differences in victim sensitivity. A second group of patients with MDD (n = 23) and their controls (n = 28) were recruited to replicate the findings and completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Spontaneous brain activity measured by fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) was used to characterize the neural correlates of victim sensitivity both in patients and in healthy controls.

RESULTS

Higher victim sensitivity was consistently found in patients with MDD than healthy controls in both datasets. Multiple regression analysis on the fALFF showed a significant interaction effect between diagnosis and victim sensitivity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

CONCLUSIONS

The patients with MDD show higher sensitivity to injustice as a victim, which may be independent of their disease course. The MDD patients differ from healthy controls in the neural correlates of victim sensitivity. These findings shed light on the linkage between cognitive control subserved by the DLPFC and negative bias towards the self implicated by higher victim sensitivity among the depressed patients.

The relationship among resting-state brain activity and connectivity, agreeableness and displaced aggression: Two possible mediation models

BACKGROUND

Displaced aggression is a specific form of attack prompted by rumination on anger experiences and revenge thought which might lead to expression of anger on innocent people. There is sufficient evidence demonstrating the potential role of agreeableness in reducing displaced aggression in theory. However, little is known about the neural basis of displaced aggression and how agreeableness and the underlying neural mechanisms link to displaced aggression.

METHODS

In this investigation, we examined these issues on 123 college students by assessing resting-state brain activity (i.e. amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, ALFF) and connectivity (i.e. resting-state functional connectivity, RSFC).

RESULTS

Whole-brain correlation analysis revealed that a higher level of displaced aggression was linked with decreased ALFF in the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and decreased RSFC between the left dmPFC and left ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Mediation analysis further revealed that left dmPFC activity and the left dmPFC-vmPFC connectivity mediated the relationship between agreeableness and displaced aggression, as well as agreeableness mediated the relation between left dmPFC activity and the left dmPFC-vmPFC connectivity and displaced aggression.

LIMITATIONS

Only ALFF and RSFC were used as indicators of brain function in this study. The two mediation models need to be further tested by longitudinal design or experimental methods in further studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that dmPFC and vmPFC might be the functional neural markers of displaced aggression and provided two possible mediation models regarding the relationship among the resting-state brain activity and connectivity, agreeableness and displaced aggression.

Brain structure links trait conscientiousness to academic performance

In the long history of identifying factors to predict academic performance, conscientiousness, a so-called ‘big five’ personality trait describing self-regulation and goal-directed behavior, has emerged as a stable predictor for this purpose. However, the neuroanatomical substrates of trait conscientiousness and the underlying brain mechanism linking trait conscientiousness and academic performance are still largely unknown. Here, we examined these issues in 148 high school students within the same grade by estimating cortical gray matter volume (GMV) utilizing a voxel-based morphometry method based on structural magnetic resonance imaging. A whole-brain regression analysis showed that trait conscientiousness was positively associated with the GMV in the bilateral superior parietal lobe (SPL) and was negatively associated with the GMV in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that trait conscientiousness mediated the influences of the SPL and MFG volume on academic performance. Importantly, our results persisted even when we adjusted for general intelligence, family socioeconomic status and ‘big five’ personality traits other than conscientiousness. Altogether, our study suggests that the GMV in the frontoparietal network is a neurostructural marker of adolescents’ conscientiousness and reveals a potential brain-personality-achievement pathway for predicting academic performance in which gray matter structures affect academic performance through trait conscientiousness.

Stress and the brain: Perceived stress mediates the impact of the superior frontal gyrus spontaneous activity on depressive symptoms in late adolescence

Identifying factors for the prediction of depression is a long-standing research topic in psychiatry and psychology. Perceived stress, which reflects the tendency to appraise one's life situations as stressful and overwhelming, has emerged as a stable predictor for depressive symptoms. However, the neurobiological bases of perceived stress and how perceived stress influences depressive symptoms in the healthy brain remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated these issues in 217 healthy adolescents by estimating the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFFs) via resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. A whole-brain correlation analysis showed that higher levels of perceived stress were associated with greater fALFF in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), which is a core brain region for cognitive control and emotion regulation-related processes. Mediation analysis further indicated that perceived stress mediated the link between the fALFF in the left SFG and depressive symptoms. Importantly, our results remained significant even when excluding the influences of head motion, anxiety, SFG gray matter structure, and school environment. Altogether, our findings suggested that the fALFF in the left SFG is a neurofunctional marker of perceived stress in adolescents and revealed a potential indirect effect of perceived stress on the association between the SFG spontaneous activity and depressive symptoms.

Brain activity mediates the relation between emotional but not instrumental support and trait loneliness

Loneliness results from lacking satisfied social connections. However, little is known how trait loneliness, which is a stable personal characteristic, is influenced by different types of social support (i.e. emotional and instrumental support) through the brain activity associated with loneliness. To explore these questions, data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) of 92 healthy participants were analyzed. We identified loneliness-related brain regions by correlating participants’ loneliness scores with amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of R-fMRI data. We then conducted mediation analyses to test whether the negative relation between each type of social support and loneliness was explained via the neural activity in the loneliness-related brain regions. The results showed that loneliness was positively related to the mean ALFF value within right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG). In addition, the negative relation between emotional support and loneliness was explained by a decrease in the spontaneous neural activity within right ITG but this pattern was not observed for instrumental support. These results suggest the importance of social information processing on trait loneliness and highlight the need to differentiate the functions of different types of social support on mental health from a neural perspective.

The resilient brain: psychological resilience mediates the effect of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in orbitofrontal cortex on subjective well-being in young healthy adults

Psychological resilience reflects the capacity to bounce back from stress, which plays an important role in health and well-being. However, less is known about the neural substrate for psychological resilience and the underlying mechanism for how psychological resilience enhances subjective well-being in the healthy brain. To investigate these issues, we employed fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) measured with resting-state fMRI in 100 young healthy adults. The correlation analysis found that higher psychological resilience was related to lower fALFF in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which is involved in reward-related processing and emotion regulation. Furthermore, the mediation analysis indicated that psychological resilience acted as a full mediator of the association between the fALFF in left OFC and subjective well-being indicators (i.e. life satisfaction and hedonic balance). Importantly, these results remained significant after controlling for the effect of gray matter volume and regional homogeneity in the region. Overall, the present study provides the further evidence for functional neural substrates of psychological resilience and reveals a potential mechanism that psychological resilience mediates the effect of spontaneous brain activity on subjective well-being.

The Altered Somatic Brain Network in State Anxiety

Highly anxious individuals often show excessive emotional arousal, somatic arousal, and characteristics of mental illness. Previous researches have extensively investigated the emotional and cognitive biases of individuals with high anxiety, but overlooked the spontaneous brain activity and functional connections associated with somatic arousal. In this study, we investigated the relationship between state anxiety and the spontaneous brain activity of the somatosensory cortex in a non-clinical healthy population with state anxiety. Furthermore, we also explored the functional connections of the somatosensory cortex. We found that state anxiety was positively correlated with the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs) of somatic related brain regions, including the right postcentral gyrus (somatosensory cortex) and the right precentral gyrus (somatic motor cortex). Furthermore, we found that state anxiety was positively correlated with the connections between the postcentral gyrus and the left cerebellum gyrus, whereas state anxiety was negatively correlated with the connectivity between the postcentral gyrus and brain regions including the left inferior frontal cortex and left medial superior frontal cortex. These results revealed the association between the anxious individuals' body-loop and state anxiety in a healthy population, which revealed the importance of somatic brain regions in anxiety symptoms and provided a new perspective on anxiety for further study.

Spontaneous activity in medial orbitofrontal cortex correlates with trait anxiety in healthy male adults

Medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) abnormalities have been observed in various anxiety disorders. However, the relationship between mOFC activity and anxiety among the healthy population has not been fully examined. Here, we conducted a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) study with 56 healthy male adults from the Nathan Kline Institute/Rockland Sample (NKI-RS) to examine the relationship between the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) signals and trait anxiety across the whole brain. A Louvain method for module detection based on graph theory was further employed in the automated functional subdivision to explore subregional correlates of trait anxiety. The results showed that trait anxiety was related to fALFF in the mOFC. Additionally, the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the right subregions of the mOFC and the precuneus was correlated with trait anxiety. These findings provided evidence about the involvement of the mOFC in anxiety processing among the healthy population.

The optimistic brain: Trait optimism mediates the influence of resting-state brain activity and connectivity on anxiety in late adolescence

As a hot research topic in the field of psychology and psychiatry, trait optimism reflects the tendency to expect positive outcomes in the future. Consistent evidence has demonstrated the role of trait optimism in reducing anxiety among different populations. However, less is known about the neural bases of trait optimism and the underlying mechanisms for how trait optimism protects against anxiety in the healthy brain. In this investigation, we examined these issues in 231 healthy adolescent students by assessing resting-state brain activity (i.e., fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, fALFF) and connectivity (i.e., resting-state functional connectivity, RSFC). Whole-brain correlation analyses revealed that higher levels of trait optimism were linked with decreased fALFF in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and increased RSFC between the right OFC and left supplementary motor cortex (SMC). Mediation analyses further showed that trait optimism mediated the influence of the right OFC activity and the OFC-SMC connectivity on anxiety. Our results remained significant even after excluding the impact of head motion, positive and negative affect and depression. Taken together, this study reveals that fALFF and RSFC are functional neural markers of trait optimism and provides a brain-personality-symptom pathway for protection against anxiety in which fALFF and RSFC affect anxiety through trait optimism.

Neuroanatomical correlates of grit: Growth mindset mediates the association between gray matter structure and trait grit in late adolescence

There is a long-standing interest in exploring the factors related to student achievement. As a newly explored personality trait, grit is defined as a person's tendency to pursue long-term goals with continual perseverance and passion, and grit plays a critical role in student achievement. Increasing evidence has shown that growth mindset, the belief that one's basic abilities are malleable and can be developed through effort, is a potential factor for cultivating grit. However, less is known about the association between grit and the brain and the role of growth mindset in this association. Here, we utilized voxel-based morphometry to examine the neuroanatomical correlates of grit in 231 healthy adolescent students by performing structural magnetic resonance imaging. The whole-brain regression analyses revealed that the regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) negatively predicted grit. In contrast, the rGMV in the right putamen positively predicted grit. Furthermore, mediating analyses suggested that growth mindset served as a mediator in the association between left DLPFC volume and grit. Our results persisted even after controlling for the influences of self-control and delayed gratification. Overall, our study presents novel evidence for the neuroanatomical basis of grit and highlights that growth mindset might play an essential role in cultivating a student's grit level.

Delay discounting is associated with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and resting-state functional connectivity in late adolescence

As a component of self-regulation, delay discounting (DD) refers to an individual’s tendency to prefer smaller-but-sooner rewards over larger-but-later rewards and plays an essential role in many aspects of human behavior. Although numerous studies have examined the neural underpinnings of DD in adults, there are far fewer studies focusing on the neurobiological correlates underlying DD in adolescents. Here, we investigated the associations between individual differences in DD and the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in 228 high school students using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). At the regional level, we found an association between higher DD and greater fALFF in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), which is involved in conflict monitoring and strategy adaptation. At the connectivity level, DD was positively correlated with the RSFC between the dACC and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a critical functional circuit in the cognitive control network. Furthermore, these effects persisted even after adjusting for the influences of general intelligence and trait impulsivity. Overall, this study reveals the fALFF and RSFC as the functional brain basis of DD in late adolescents, aiding to strengthen and corroborate our understanding of the neural underpinnings of DD.