Functional connectivity of emotional well-being: Overconnectivity between default and attentional networks is associated with attitudes of anger and aggression

Abstract Functional MRI connectivity has identified neurophysiology relevant to cognition and personality, motivating a search for relationships between brain architecture and emotional health and well-being. Two approaches were used to asses functional connectivity correlates of emotional health and well-being. The first approach used principal component analysis to evaluate resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project 1200 Subjects Data Release. Pairwise functional connectivity measurements were obtained from a 5 mm resolution parcellation of brain gray matter. Principal components were calculated for each individual and for group mean connectivity data and compared to obtain an estimate of typicality of functional connectivity for each component in each subject. Typicality scores were compared to reported emotional health metrics using a general linear model. The second approach calculated functional connectivity between each pair of networks from a 17-resting-state network cortical parcellation. Typicality of connectivity showed significant correlation across the population to emotional metrics corresponding to attitudes of anger and aggression in 3 of 10 principal components. Additionally, functional connectivity between the default and attentional networks was positively correlated with scores of attitudes of anger and aggression. These findings are consistent with a mechanism of impaired effortful control and decreased response inhibition of impulsivity.