Weak brain function and anxiety-related loop in harm-avoidance personality: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

• Published in: Brain research bulletin Vol. 220; p. 111174
• Main Authors: Wen, Jiaqi, Guo, Tao, Xu, Jingjing, Duanmu, Xiaojie, Tan, Sijia, Zhang, Minming, Xu, Xiaojun, Guan, Xiaojun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2025; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Amygdala - physiology; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnostic imaging; Anxiety - physiopathology; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Mapping - methods; Clustering analysis; Emotions - physiology; Female; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Harm Reduction - physiology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Mediating analysis; Personality; Personality - physiology; Rest; Reward; Young Adult; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Clustering analysis; Mediating analysis; Personality; Anxiety
• ISSN: 0361-9230; 1873-2747
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.111174

Personality is a unique and relatively stable psychological concept that defines individual human beings. It strongly influences long-term behavioral styles such as emotional expression. This study aims to elucidate the brain functional underpinning behind personality. A total of 97 young subjects were included. All subjects completed personality, emotion, and cognition scales, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. All subjects were divided into subtypes of harm avoidance (HA) and reward dependence (RD) by clustering analysis. Graph theory analysis and network-based analysis were used to explore the brain functional configurations of personalities. HA subjects showed lower network metrics (P = 0.018) and node metrics (P < 0.009). A negative component network was observed in HA subjects (P < 0.001). Functional topology metrics were negatively correlated with the HA score. The amygdala-IPG functional connectivity mediated the positive correlation between personality HA and state anxiety. Personality HA is associated with decreased functional configuration, which could influence emotion by downregulating amygdala-IPG coupling. These findings provide insight into how the brain shapes personality and related emotions. •Harm-avoid adolescence had higher emotion dysfunction.•Harm-avoid personality was closely associated with a decreased functional configuration.•Functional topology was negatively correlated with harm-avoid score in adolescence.•Harm-avoid personality influenced emotion by downregulating amygdala-IPG coupling.