National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.
Institute of Computer Science, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
PLoS One. 2020 Jun 2;15(6):e0232570. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232570. eCollection 2020.
In the last years, there has been a considerable increase of research into the neuroimaging correlates of inter-individual temperament and character variability-an endeavour for which the term 'personality neuroscience' was coined. Among other neuroimaging modalities and approaches, substantial work focuses on functional connectivity in resting state (rs-FC) functional magnetic resonance imaging data. In the current paper, we set out to independently query the questions asked in a highly cited study that reported a range of functional connectivity correlates of personality dimensions assessed by the widely used 'Big Five' Personality Inventory. Using a larger sample (84 subjects) and an equivalent data analysis pipeline, we obtained widely disagreeing results compared to the original study. Overall, the results were in line with the hypotheses of no relation between functional connectivity and personality, when more precise permutation-based multiple testing procedures were applied. The results demonstrate that as with other neuroimaging studies, great caution should be applied when interpreting the findings, among other reasons due to multiple testing problem involved at several levels in many neuroimaging studies. Of course, the current study results can not ultimately disprove the existence of some link between personality and brain's intrinsic functional architecture, but clearly shows that its form is very likely different and much more subtle and elusive than was previously reported.
在过去的几年中，人们对个体气质和性格变异性的神经影像学相关性进行了大量研究——这一领域的术语为“人格神经科学”。在其他神经影像学模态和方法中，大量工作集中在静息状态（rs-FC）功能磁共振成像数据的功能连接上。在当前的论文中，我们独立地探讨了一项高度引用的研究中提出的问题，该研究报告了广泛使用的“大五”人格量表评估的人格维度的一系列功能连接相关性。使用更大的样本（84 名受试者）和等效的数据分析管道，我们得到的结果与原始研究广泛不一致。总的来说，当应用更精确的基于置换的多重检验程序时，结果与功能连接与人格之间没有关系的假设一致。这些结果表明，与其他神经影像学研究一样，在解释研究结果时应非常谨慎，原因之一是许多神经影像学研究在多个层面都涉及到多重检验问题。当然，目前的研究结果不能最终否定人格与大脑内在功能结构之间存在某种联系，但清楚地表明，其形式很可能与以前报道的不同，而且更加微妙和难以捉摸。
