Intersubject similarity of personality is associated with intersubject similarity of brain connectivity patterns

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 186; pp. 56 - 69
• Main Authors: Liu, Wei, Kohn, Nils, Fernández, Guillén
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2019; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Algorithms; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Brain mapping; Brain research; Datasets; Functional connectome; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Heritability; Identification; Individual difference; Medical imaging; Mental health; NEO-FFI; Network similarity; Neural networks; Neuroimaging; Neurosciences; Personality; Personality neuroscience; Personality traits; Studies; Network similarity; Functional connectome; Personality neuroscience; Individual difference; NEO-FFI
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.062

Personality is a central high-level psychological concept that defines individual human beings and has been associated with a variety of real-world outcomes (e.g., mental health and academic performance). Using 2 h, high resolution, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) resting state data of 984 (primary dataset N = 801, hold-out dataset N = 183) participants from the Human Connectome Project (HCP), we investigated the relationship between personality (five-factor model, FFM) and intrinsic whole-brain functional connectome. We found a pattern of functional brain connectivity (“global personality network”) related to personality traits. Consistent with the heritability of personality traits, the connectivity strength of this global personality network is also heritable (more similar between monozygotic twin pairs compared to the dizygotic twin pairs). Validated by both the repeated family-based 10-fold cross-validation and hold-out dataset, our intersubject network similarity analysis allowed us to identify participants' pairs with similar personality profiles. Across all the identified pairs of participants, we found a positive correlation between the network similarity and personality similarity, supporting our “similar brain, similar personality” hypothesis. Furthermore, the global personality network can be used to predict the individual subject's responses in the personality questionnaire on an item level. In sum, based on individual brain connectivity pattern, we could predict different facets of personality, and this prediction is not based on localized regions, but rather relies on the individual connectivity pattern in large-scale brain networks. •Brain connectivity is associated with personality traits (Five-factor model of personality), forming a “global personality network”.•Global personality network is more similar between monozygotic twin pairs compared to the dizygotic twin pairs.•Intersubject network similarity analysis can identify pairs of participants with similar personality profiles.•Global personality network can predict participants’ item-level responses in the Five-Factor Model.