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. 2015 Nov 9;31(6):663–675. doi: 10.1007/s12264-015-1565-1

Functional neuroimaging of extraversion-introversion

Xu Lei 1,2,✉, Tianliang Yang 1,2, Taoyu Wu 1,2
PMCID: PMC5563732  PMID: 26552800

Abstract

Neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography have provided an unprecedented neurobiological perspective for research on personality traits. Evidence from task-related neuroimaging has shown that extraversion is associated with activations in regions of the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus and the amygdala. Currently, resting-state neuroimaging is being widely used in cognitive neuroscience. Initial exploration of extraversion has revealed correlations with the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and the precuneus. Recent research work has indicated that the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state spontaneous oscillation has high test-retest reliability. Moreover, the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state networks is highly correlated with personality traits, and this can be used for the prediction of extraversion. As the long-range temporal dependence reflects real-time information updating in individuals, this method may provide a new approach to research on personality traits.

Keywords: extraversion, neuroimaging, resting-state fMRI, default mode network, scale-free dynamics

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