Neuroanatomical correlates of extraversion

a test–retest study implicating gray matter volume in the caudate nucleus

Abstract

Extraversion is a propensity for optimism, positive emotion, and sociability. Many studies have explored the brain correlates of extraversion, and the results have mainly emphasized the role of reward-related brain regions. However, it is unclear whether imaging studies of the brain’s reward system can show good test–retest reliability. We aim to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of extraversion and to examine the test–retest reliability of the results. Voxel-based morphometry derived from MRI and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory were performed in a sample of 382 subjects (dataset 1), and multiple regression was used to analyze the relation between regional gray matter volume (GMV) and extraversion scores. We found that bilateral GMV in the caudate region was positively associated with extraversion. Two years later, 133 subjects from dataset 1 were re-examined with MRI and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. A conjunction analysis showed that the body of left caudate nucleus was consistently associated with extraversion. The bilateral GMV of the caudate nucleus, which may be related to sensitivity to rewards, may be a critical brain structure underlying extraverted behavior. This study is the first to use two different time points to assess the consistency of the association of brain structures with extraversion.