Huang Jicheng, Chen Liang, Zhao Hengyue, Xu Ting, Xiong Zixiao, Yang Chenxu, Feng Tingyong, Feng Pan
Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.
Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.
Cereb Cortex. 2025 Apr 1;35(4). doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhaf092.
Future self-continuity refers to the perceived degree of similarity between one's present self and future self. Self-control refers to the ability to regulate and control inappropriate behaviors, enabling individuals to suppress immediate reactions that are inconsistent with long-term goals. Previous studies demonstrated a positive correlation between future self-continuity and self-control, yet the neural mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. To address this question, we integrated behavioral assessments with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and mediation modeling to investigate this relationship. Behavioral results confirmed a positive correlation between the two variables. Furthermore, neuroimaging results revealed that right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (R-rACC) to right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-dlPFC) functional connectivity correlated with future self-continuity and mediated its relationship with self-control. These findings suggest that the functional connectivity between the R-rACC and the R-dlPFC may constitute the neural basis of the relationship between future self-continuity and self-control while offering a mechanistic framework to advance understanding of their interrelationship.
未来自我连续性是指个体对当前自我与未来自我之间相似程度的感知。自我控制是指调节和控制不适当行为的能力，使个体能够抑制与长期目标不一致的即时反应。先前的研究表明未来自我连续性与自我控制之间存在正相关，但这种关系背后的神经机制仍不清楚。为了解决这个问题，我们将行为评估与静息态功能磁共振成像（fMRI）以及中介模型相结合，以研究这种关系。行为结果证实了这两个变量之间存在正相关。此外，神经影像学结果显示，右侧喙前扣带回皮质（R-rACC）与右侧背外侧前额叶皮质（R-dlPFC）之间的功能连接与未来自我连续性相关，并介导了其与自我控制的关系。这些发现表明，R-rACC与R-dlPFC之间的功能连接可能构成了未来自我连续性与自我控制之间关系的神经基础，同时提供了一个机制框架，以促进对它们相互关系的理解。
