Personality traits and the amplitude of spontaneous low-frequency oscillations during resting state

Recently, neural substrates of the Big Five personality model were investigated using neuroimaging. We examined the relationships between the amplitude of spontaneous low-frequency oscillations (LFO) and the Big Five traits using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI). Twenty-four healthy right-handed undergraduates (23.13 ± 1.87 years, 9 males and 15 females) participated in 5-min R-fMRI and completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. We observed that Neuroticism correlated negatively with regional activity of the middle frontal gyrus and precuneus; Extraversion correlated positively with regional activity of the striatum, precuneus, and superior frontal gyrus; Openness correlated positively with the thalamus and amygdala, and negatively with the superior frontal gyrus; Conscientiousness correlated positively with regional activity of the middle frontal gyrus and correlated negatively with the cerebellum. Our results revealed the neural substrates of Extraversion, Neuroticism, Openness, and Conscientiousness in the amplitude of spontaneous LFO.

Research highlights
► We examined the relationships between the amplitude of spontaneous low-frequency oscillations and Big Five traits.
► Neuroticism correlated negatively with activity of middle frontal gyrus and precuneus.
► Extraversion correlated positively with activity of the striatum, precuneus, middle frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus.
► Openness correlated positively with activity of thalamus and amygdala, and negatively with activity of superior frontal gyrus.
► Conscientiousness correlated positively with regional activity of the middle frontal gyrus.