Brain dynamics and personality: a preliminary study

Abstract

Personality can be considered a system characterized by complex dynamics that are extremely adaptive depending on continuous interactions with the environment and situations. The present preliminary study explores the dynamic interplay between brain flexibility and personality by taking the dynamic approach to personality into account, thereby drawing from Cloninger's psychobiological model. 46 healthy individuals were recruited, and their brain dynamics were assessed using magnetoencephalography (MEG) during the resting state. We identified brain activation patterns and measured brain flexibility by employing the theory of neuronal avalanches. Subsequent correlation analyses revealed a significant positive association between brain flexibility and cooperativeness, thus highlighting the role of brain reconfiguration tendencies in fostering openness, tolerance, and empathy towards others. Additionally, this preliminary finding suggests a neurobiological basis for adaptive social behaviors. Although the results are preliminary, this study provides initial insights into the intricate relationship between brain dynamics and personality, thus laying the groundwork for further research in this emerging field using a dynamic network analysis of the functional activity of the brain.

Keywords

• brain flexibility
• temperament and character inventory
• neuronal avalanches
• magnetoencephalography (meg)
• cooperativeness