The Neural Correlates of Mindful Awareness: A Possible Buffering Effect on Anxiety-Related Reduction in Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activity

Abstract

BackgroundHuman personality consists of two fundamental elements character and temperament. Character allays automatic and preconceptual emotional responses determined by temperament. However, the neurobiological basis of character and its interplay with temperament remain elusive. Here, we examined character-temperament interplay and explored the neural basis of character, with a particular focus on the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex extending to a ventromedial portion of the prefrontal cortex (sgACC/vmPFC).MethodsResting brain glucose metabolism (GM) was measured using [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in 140 healthy adults. Personality traits were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory. Regions of interest (ROI) analysis and whole-brain analysis were performed to examine a combination effect of temperament and character on the sgACC/vmPFC and to explore the neural correlates of character, respectively.ResultsHarm avoidance (HA), a temperament trait (i.e., depressive, anxious, vulnerable), showed a significant negative impact on the sgACC/vmPFC GM, whereas self-transcendence (ST), a character trait (i.e., intuitive, judicious, spiritual), exhibited a significant positive effect on GM in the same region (HA β = −0.248, p = 0.003; ST: β = 0.250, p = 0.003). In addition, when coupled with strong ST, individuals with strong HA maintained the sgACC/vmPFC GM level comparable to the level of those with low scores on both HA and ST. Furthermore, exploratory whole-brain analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between ST and sgACC/vmPFC GM (peak voxel at x = −8, y = 32, z = −8, k = 423, Z = 4.41, corrected p FDR = 0.030).ConclusionThe current findings indicate that the sgACC/vmPFC might play a critical role in mindful awareness to something beyond as well as in emotional regulation. Developing a sense of mindfulness may temper exaggerated emotional responses in individuals with a risk for or having anxiety and depressive disorders.

Effects of Hormone Therapy on Brain Volumes Changes of Postmenopausal Women Revealed by Optimally-Discriminative Voxel-Based Morphometry

“…These structures interface with limbic, executive, and behavioral structures that are involved in the motivational evaluation of stimuli. The two regions and their dense connections are associated with higher-level functions such as decision-making [ 41 , 42 , 43 ] and emotional regulation [ 44 , 45 ]. The anterior cingulate cortex in particular is involved in the ongoing information processing of cognitive resource allocation [ 46 , 47 ], that is, “cognitive control” [ 48 ].…”

Default mode network alterations after intermittent theta burst stimulation in healthy subjects

“…Lastly, harm avoidance (HA) of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) pertains to the heritable tendency of individuals to respond more harshly to aversive cues, punishment and non-reward 33 . Previous works show a relationship between HA and activity [34][35][36][37] or connectivity 19 in sgACC in healthy samples. In patients with depression, HA has been shown to be associated with response 38 and non-response 39 to treatment.…”

Resting-State Isolated Effective Connectivity of the Cingulate Cortex as a Neurophysiological Biomarker in Patients with Severe Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia

“…Thus, the PCC may be crucial as a pathological basis for this disorder. On the other hand, the ACC plays a role in mediating awareness and attention [ 43 , 44 ]. The ACC is thought to be a core region affected by schizophrenia [ 44 ] and dysfunction of the ACC may induce severity of symptoms or global impairment of cognitive function [ 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”