Neural Correlates of Trait Impulsivity among Adult Healthy Individuals.

OBJECTIVE: : Impulsivity can be observed in individuals with or without mental illness. The discovery of neural correlates responsible for trait impulsivity can therefore help to understand the severity of psychiatric symptoms, personality characteristics and social adjustment. In this study, we aimed to identify the gray matter substrates of trait impulsivity in healthy individuals.

METHODS: : Seventy-five healthy individuals were enrolled. At baseline, trait impulsivity was assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and all participants underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scan. Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were also assessed. Mean cortical thickness (CT) and the local gyrification index (LGI) were calculated to perform whole-brain vertex-wise correlation analysis, which were performed to investigate the relationship between BIS scores and CT or LGI in each brain region. We also revealed the relationship between brain regions and psychological measurements.

RESULTS: : Total BIS scores were significantly and negatively correlated with mean CT values in the left lateral occipital cortex (OC) and LGIs in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Correlation analyses revealed that the lateral OC's mean CT values were negatively correlated with BAI scores and positively correlated with WHOQOL-BREF scores, while LGI in the IFG was positively correlated with CD-RISC scores.

CONCLUSION: : Our study showed that trait impulsivity might be associated with the lateral OC and IFG in healthy individuals. Understanding the neural correlates of trait impulsivity could provide ways to expect high impulsivity, anxiety, and poor resilience in healthy adults.