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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.06.07.495168

Conscientiousness associated with efficiency of the salience/ventral attention network: Replication in three samples using individualized parcellation

Sassenberg, T. A.·Burton, P. C.·Mwilambwe-Tshilobo, L.·Jung, R. E.·Rustichini, A.·Spreng, R. N.·DeYoung, C. G.
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Abstract

Previous research in the field of personality neuroscience has identified associations of conscientiousness and related constructs like impulsivity and self-control with structural and functional properties of particular regions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and insula. Network- based conceptions of brain function suggest that these regions probably belong to a single large- scale network, labeled the salience/ventral attention network (SVAN). The current study tested associations between conscientiousness and resting-state functional connectivity in this network using two community samples (N = 244 and 239) and data from the Human Connectome Project (N = 1000). Individualized parcellation was used to improve the accuracy of functional localization and to facilitate replication. Functional connectivity was measured using an index of network efficiency, a graph theoretical measure quantifying the capacity for parallel information transfer within a network. Efficiency of a set of parcels in the SVAN was significantly associated with conscientiousness in all samples. Findings are consistent with a theory of conscientiousness as a function of variation in neural networks underlying effective prioritization of goals.

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Sassenberg, T. A., Burton, P. C., Mwilambwe-Tshilobo, L., Jung, R. E., Rustichini, A., Spreng, R. N., DeYoung, C. G.. 2022-06-09. Conscientiousness associated with efficiency of the salience/ventral attention network: Replication in three samples using individualized parcellation. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.06.07.495168

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