Neurostructural correlates of optimism: Gray matter density in the putamen predicts dispositional optimism in late adolescence

Lai, Han; Wang, Song; Zhao, Yajun; Qiu, Chen; Gong, Qiyong

doi:10.1002/hbm.24888

Cited by 30 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 150 publications

(280 reference statements)

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“…Correspondingly, we suggest that a higher volume of the putamen may predispose individuals toward a larger personal optimism bias via an exacerbated weighing of reward and value. Notably, our findings for the left putamen are in line with a recent VBM study that reported how trait optimism positively correlated with gray matter density in bilateral putamen, with a stronger effect in the left putamen [49]. Furthermore, there is mounting evidence of putamen volumes being negatively associated with depression [67][68][69][70], a condition notorious for its pessimistic expectancies [71,72] and a lack of asymmetrical update of beliefs in the optimistic direction [73].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Notably, the findings of the current study do not fully overlap with earlier findings on gray matter correlates of trait optimism [48,49,51] or related concepts [47]. In contrast to other investigations of optimism bias, here we used a competitive context, thereby possibly enabling slightly different mechanisms that rely on additional or distinct brain structures.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 72%

“…Another research group found trait optimism to correlate with the GMV of subcortical structures such as the thalamus (pulvinar) and its extension into the parahippocampal gyrus [48]. Furthermore, a recent study reported putamen density to predict trait optimism [49], while still, another study depicted a positive association between trait optimism and GMV in the orbitofrontal cortex [50].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Brain Structure and Optimism Bias: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Approach

et al. 2022

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Individuals often anticipate an unrealistically favorable future for themselves (personal optimism bias) or others (social optimism bias). While such biases are well established, little is known about their neuroanatomy. In this study, participants engaged in a soccer task and estimated the likelihood of successful passes in personal and social scenarios. Voxel-based morphometry revealed that personal optimism bias varied as a positive function of gray matter volume (GMV) in the putamen, frontal pole, hippocampus, temporal pole, inferior temporal gyrus, visual association areas, and mid-superior temporal gyrus. Social optimism bias correlated positively with GMV in the temporoparietal junction and negatively with GMV in the inferior temporal gyrus and pre-supplementary motor areas. Together, these findings suggest that parts of our optimistic outlook are biologically rooted. Moreover, while the two biases looked similar at the behavioral level, they were related to distinct gray matter structures, proposing that their underlying mechanisms are not identical.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 72%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Brain Structure and Optimism Bias: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Approach

et al. 2022

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“…As Blackburn and Epel (2017) put it, your cells are listening to your thoughts. Optimism and positive thinking are related to better mental and physical health (Lai, Wang, Zhao, Qiu, & Gong, 2020). Ongoing thoughts can influence the link between brain physiology and well-being.…”

Section: Optimismmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Flourishing Brain in the 21st Century: A Scoping Review of the Impact of Developing Good Habits for Mind, Brain, Well‐Being, and Learning

Ekman

Fletcher

Giota

et al. 2021

Mind Brain and Education

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Emerging scientific knowledge such as the role of epigenetics and neuroplasticity-the brain's capability to constantly rewire with every action, experience, and thought-is fundamentally changing our understanding of the potential impact we can have on our brain. Our brain is formed by our habits in interaction with our body, the environment, influenced by our lifestyle, successes, failures, and traumas. Neuroplasticity proves that every student's brain is a work in progress, and it is never too late to take better care of one's cognitive fitness. This review presents a repertoire of good habits (GHs). Combined, we suggest that these GHs provide conditions for optimal brain health, by acting as a "Mental Vaccine" which enhances the brain's resilience to brain health-degrading challenges. We argue

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“…Studying such predictive yield is worthwhile because it may enable the identification of the most important structural brain characteristics (e.g., of identified key regions in earlier research, such as ACC, insula, striatum, and PCC) to the strength of the manifested OB. Lai et al have addressed this issue to some extent in their study, where bilateral GMV of putamen correlated with trait optimism (i.e., the tendency to look positively into one's own future, which is not necessarily irrational as in OB) [14]. However, their primary findings were based on voxel-based morphometry with behavioral questionnaires of the life orientation test (LOT, as an indicator for trait optimism), and its results were only then confirmed by a predictive approach, as a post-hoc reliability strategy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictive modeling of optimism bias using gray matter cortical thickness

Kotikalapudi¹,

Moser²,

Dricu³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Optimism bias (OB) is an expectancy bias, where people expect irrationally good future outcomes for themselves. Predictive modeling for OB would open new opportunities for estimating an overall state of well-being and understanding clinical conditions such as depression. To our knowledge, this is the first study attempting to address OB implementing a dedicated machine-learning based predictive modeling. We calculate people’s OB via a soccer paradigm, where participants rate their comparative chances for a successful outcome against their rival (i.e., personal OB) and a rival team (social OB). Later, using gray matter cortical thickness (CT) in a machine-learning framework, we predict both POB and SOB. Our results reveal a significant brain structure-based predictive model for experimentally assessed POB (Pearson’s r = 0.41, p = 0.007). Strongest predictors include left rostral and caudal ACC, right pars orbitalis and entorhinal cortex, all shown to have a role in OB before. Our confounder analysis suggests that the predictions are predominantly driven by CT measures and are not corrupted by demographic data (e.g., age and sex). There were no predictors recognized for estimating SOB. More of such predictive models on a large-scale data platform are needed, to help us understand positive psychology and individual well-being.

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Neurostructural correlates of optimism: Gray matter density in the putamen predicts dispositional optimism in late adolescence

Cited by 30 publications

References 150 publications

Brain Structure and Optimism Bias: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Approach

Brain Structure and Optimism Bias: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Approach

A Flourishing Brain in the 21st Century: A Scoping Review of the Impact of Developing Good Habits for Mind, Brain, Well‐Being, and Learning

Predictive modeling of optimism bias using gray matter cortical thickness

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