Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Cortical folding patterns are associated with impulsivity in healthy young adults

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Brain Imaging and Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Impulsivity is associated with distinct mental disorders but is also considered as a personality trait exhibited by healthy individuals. Current studies suggest that early stressful life events might cause higher impulsivity in the adulthood. Morphological features, which reflect early brain development, could provide valuable information regarding the origin of impulsive behavior. However, none of the previous MRI studies employed a methodology specifically designed to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and markers of brain development. In this regard, we aimed to investigate the relationship between cortical folding and the three distinct factors of impulsivity (attention, motor, and non-planning) in young healthy adults. Fifty-four right-handed healthy individuals were recruited for the study and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 Tesla. A surface-based analysis was used to calculate a local gyrification index (LGI). Impulsivity was examined by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and related to LGI. Associations between LGI and BIS-11 scores were assessed using within-group correlations (p < 0.05, “cluster-wise probability” [CWP] corr.). BIS subscores were positively correlated with cortical folding in several distinct areas: Total and attention scores were positively correlated with LGI in the left postcentral gyrus, cingulate gyrus, precentral gyrus, pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, pericalcarine gyrus, and lateral occipital gyrus (each p < 0.05 CWP corr.). BIS motor score was positively correlated with LGI in the left superior temporal, lingual and supramarginal gyrus (each p < 0.05 CWP corr.). BIS non-planning score showed a positive correlation with LGI in the pars opercularis of the right inferior frontal gyrus and the left middle temporal, precentral and superior parietal gyrus (each p < 0.05 CWP corr.). Furthermore, we found gender-specific differences in BIS-11-LGI-correlation in the middle and inferior frontal gyrus. Our findings illustrate the advantages of cortical folding as a marker of early brain development when investigating structural brain correlates of impulsivity in young adulthood. Further, they lend additional support to the notion that alterations in early neurodevelopment comprising fronto-temporo-parietal regions might give rise to higher impulsivity in healthy individuals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bari, A., & Robbins, T. W. (2013). Inhibition and impulsivity: behavioral and neural basis of response control. Progress in Neurobiology, 108, 44–79. doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.06.005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barratt, E. S., Stanford, M. S., Kent, T. A., & Felthous, A. (1997). Neuropsychological and cognitive psychophysiological substrates of impulsive aggression. Biological Psychiatry, 41(10), 1045–1061.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., & Nower, L. (2002). A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling. Addiction, 97(5), 487–499.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bookstein, F. L. (2001). “Voxel-based morphometry” should not be used with imperfectly registered images. NeuroImage, 14(6), 1454–1462. doi:10.1006/nimg.2001.0770.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brady, K. T., Dansky, B. S., Sonne, S. C., & Saladin, M. E. (1998). Posttraumatic stress disorder and cocaine dependence. Order of onset. American Journal of Addictions, 7(2), 128–135.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Castellanos, F. X., & Proal, E. (2012). Large-scale brain systems in ADHD: beyond the prefrontal-striatal model. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(1), 17–26. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2011.11.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, S. R., & Sahakian, B. J. (2007). The neuropsychiatry of impulsivity. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 20(3), 255–261. doi:10.1097/YCO.0b013e3280ba4989.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cloninger, C. R. (1986). A unified biosocial theory of personality and its role in the development of anxiety states. Psychiatric Developments, 4(3), 167–226.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corbetta, M., Patel, G., & Shulman, G. L. (2008). The reorienting system of the human brain: from environment to theory of mind. Neuron, 58(3), 306–324. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2008.04.017.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cuthbert, B. N. (2014). Research domain criteria: toward future psychiatric nosology. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 7(1), 4–5. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2013.12.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cuthbert, B. N., & Kozak, M. J. (2013). Constructing constructs for psychopathology: the NIMH research domain criteria. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(3), 928–937. doi:10.1037/a0034028.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dale, A. M., Fischl, B., & Sereno, M. I. (1999). Cortical surface-based analysis. I. Segmentation and surface reconstruction. NeuroImage, 9(2), 179–194. doi:10.1006/nimg.1998.0395.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deserno, L., Wilbertz, T., Reiter, A., Horstmann, A., Neumann, J., Villringer, A., Heinze, H. J., & Schlagenhauf, F. (2015). Lateral prefrontal model-based signatures are reduced in healthy individuals with high trait impulsivity. Translational Psychiatry, 5, e659. doi:10.1038/tp.2015.139.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Desikan, R. S., Segonne, F., Fischl, B., Quinn, B. T., Dickerson, B. C., Blacker, D., Buckner, R. L., Dale, A. M., Maguire, R. P., Hyman, B. T., Albert, M. S., & Killiany, R. J. (2006). An automated labeling system for subdividing the human cerebral cortex on MRI scans into gyral based regions of interest. NeuroImage, 31(3), 968–980. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.01.021.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fassbender, C., & Schweitzer, J. B. (2006). Is there evidence for neural compensation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? A review of the functional neuroimaging literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(4), 445–465. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2006.01.003.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fassbender, C., Foxe, J. J., & Garavan, H. (2006). Mapping the functional anatomy of task preparation: priming task-appropriate brain networks. Human Brain Mapping, 27(10), 819–827. doi:10.1002/hbm.20223.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feingold, A. (1994). Gender differences in personality: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 116(3), 429–456.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fischl, B., & Dale, A. M. (2000). Measuring the thickness of the human cerebral cortex from magnetic resonance images. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 97(20), 11050–11055. doi:10.1073/pnas.200033797.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fischl, B., Sereno, M. I., & Dale, A. M. (1999). Cortical surface-based analysis. II: Inflation, flattening, and a surface-based coordinate system. NeuroImage, 9(2), 195–207. doi:10.1006/nimg.1998.0396.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fischl, B., van der Kouwe, A., Destrieux, C., Halgren, E., Segonne, F., Salat, D. H., Busa, E., Seidman, L. J., Goldstein, J., Kennedy, D., Caviness, V., Makris, N., Rosen, B., & Dale, A. M. (2004). Automatically parcellating the human cerebral cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 14(1), 11–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fornito, A., Yucel, M., Wood, S. J., Adamson, C., Velakoulis, D., Saling, M. M., McGorry, P. D., & Pantelis, C. (2008). Surface-based morphometry of the anterior cingulate cortex in first episode schizophrenia. Human Brain Mapping, 29(4), 478–489. doi:10.1002/hbm.20412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fornito, A., Yucel, M., Dean, B., Wood, S. J., & Pantelis, C. (2009). Anatomical abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia: bridging the gap between neuroimaging and neuropathology. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 35(5), 973–993. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbn025.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fossati, A., Barratt, E. S., Carretta, I., Leonardi, B., Grazioli, F., & Maffei, C. (2004). Predicting borderline and antisocial personality disorder features in nonclinical subjects using measures of impulsivity and aggressiveness. Psychiatry Research, 125(2), 161–170. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2003.12.001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fossati, A., Barratt, E. S., Borroni, S., Villa, D., Grazioli, F., & Maffei, C. (2007). Impulsivity, aggressiveness, and DSM-IV personality disorders. Psychiatry Research, 149(1–3), 157–167. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.03.011.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garavan, H., Ross, T. J., Murphy, K., Roche, R. A., & Stein, E. A. (2002). Dissociable executive functions in the dynamic control of behavior: inhibition, error detection, and correction. NeuroImage, 17(4), 1820–1829.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gardini, S., Cloninger, C. R., & Venneri, A. (2009). Individual differences in personality traits reflect structural variance in specific brain regions. Brain Research Bulletin, 79(5), 265–270. doi:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2009.03.005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gehring, W. J., & Knight, R. T. (2000). Prefrontal-cingulate interactions in action monitoring. Nature Neuroscience, 3(5), 516–520. doi:10.1038/74899.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grieve, S. M., Korgaonkar, M. S., Clark, C. R., & Williams, L. M. (2011). Regional heterogeneity in limbic maturational changes: evidence from integrating cortical thickness, volumetric and diffusion tensor imaging measures. NeuroImage, 55(3), 868–879. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.12.087.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hirjak, D., Wolf, R. C., Kubera, K. M., Stieltjes, B., & Thomann, P. A. (2014). Multiparametric mapping of neurological soft signs in healthy adults. Brain Structure & Function. doi:10.1007/s00429-014-0964-9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirjak, D., Kubera, K. M., Wolf, R. C., Thomann, A. K., Hell, S. K., Seidl, U., & Thomann, P. A. (2015). Local brain gyrification as a marker of neurological soft signs in schizophrenia. Behavioural Brain Research, 292, 19–25. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.048.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoptman, M. J., Antonius, D., Mauro, C. J., Parker, E. M., & Javitt, D. C. (2014). Cortical thinning, functional connectivity, and mood-related impulsivity in schizophrenia: relationship to aggressive attitudes and behavior. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(9), 939–948. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.13111553.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kalenscher, T., Ohmann, T., & Gunturkun, O. (2006). The neuroscience of impulsive and self-controlled decisions. International Journal of Psychophysiology: Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology, 62(2), 203–211. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2006.05.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, A. R., Wang, L., & Beg, M. F. (2008). FreeSurfer-initiated fully-automated subcortical brain segmentation in MRI using Large Deformation Diffeomorphic Metric Mapping. NeuroImage, 41(3), 735–746. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.03.024.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, D., Rotarska-Jagiela, A., Genc, E., Sritharan, S., Mohr, H., Roux, F., Han, C. E., Kaiser, M., Singer, W., & Uhlhaas, P. J. (2014). Adolescent brain maturation and cortical folding: evidence for reductions in gyrification. PloS One, 9(1), e84914. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084914.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrie, S. M. (2013). Eugen Bleuler and evidence-based psychiatry. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 84(6), 593. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2012-304330.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, L. C., Andrews, T. J., Johnson, S. J., Woods, W., Gouws, A., Green, G. G., & Young, A. W. (2010). Neural responses to rigidly moving faces displaying shifts in social attention investigated with fMRI and MEG. Neuropsychologia, 48(2), 477–490. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.10.005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li, C. S., Huang, C., Constable, R. T., & Sinha, R. (2006). Imaging response inhibition in a stop-signal task: neural correlates independent of signal monitoring and post-response processing. The Journal of Neuroscience: The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 26(1), 186–192. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3741-05.2006.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman, M. D. (2007). Social cognitive neuroscience: a review of core processes. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 259–289. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085654.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Links, P. S., Heslegrave, R., & van Reekum, R. (1999). Impulsivity: core aspect of borderline personality disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, 13(1), 1–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luders, E., Narr, K. L., Thompson, P. M., Rex, D. E., Jancke, L., Steinmetz, H., & Toga, A. W. (2004). Gender differences in cortical complexity. Nature Neuroscience, 7(8), 799–800. doi:10.1038/nn1277.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lyoo, I. K., Pollack, M. H., Silveri, M. M., Ahn, K. H., Diaz, C. I., Hwang, J., Kim, S. J., Yurgelun-Todd, D. A., Kaufman, M. J., & Renshaw, P. F. (2006). Prefrontal and temporal gray matter density decreases in opiate dependence. Psychopharmacology, 184(2), 139–144. doi:10.1007/s00213-005-0198-x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Makris, N., Biederman, J., Monuteaux, M. C., & Seidman, L. J. (2009). Towards conceptualizing a neural systems-based anatomy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Developmental Neuroscience, 31(1–2), 36–49. doi:10.1159/000207492.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Marazziti, D., Baroni, S., Masala, I., Golia, F., Consoli, G., Massimetti, G., Picchetti, M., Catena Dell’osso, M., Giannaccini, G., Betti, L., Lucacchini, A., & Ciapparelli, A. (2010). Impulsivity, gender, and the platelet serotonin transporter in healthy subjects. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 6, 9–15.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuo, K., Nicoletti, M., Nemoto, K., Hatch, J. P., Peluso, M. A., Nery, F. G., & Soares, J. C. (2009a). A voxel-based morphometry study of frontal gray matter correlates of impulsivity. Human Brain Mapping, 30(4), 1188–1195. doi:10.1002/hbm.20588.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuo, K., Nicoletti, M. A., Peluso, M. A., Hatch, J. P., Nemoto, K., Watanabe, Y., Nery, F. G., Monkul, E. S., Zunta-Soares, G. B., Bowden, C. L., & Soares, J. C. (2009b). Anterior cingulate volumes associated with trait impulsivity in individuals with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders, 11(6), 628–636. doi:10.1111/j.1399-5618.2009.00732.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin, K. A., Sheridan, M. A., Winter, W., Fox, N. A., Zeanah, C. H., & Nelson, C. A. (2014). Widespread reductions in cortical thickness following severe early-life deprivation: a neurodevelopmental pathway to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Biological Psychiatry, 76(8), 629–638. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.08.016.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, T. J., McGlashan, T. H., Rosen, J. L., Cadenhead, K., Cannon, T., Ventura, J., McFarlane, W., Perkins, D. O., Pearlson, G. D., & Woods, S. W. (2003). Prodromal assessment with the structured interview for prodromal syndromes and the scale of prodromal symptoms: predictive validity, interrater reliability, and training to reliability. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 29(4), 703–715.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moeller, F. G., Barratt, E. S., Dougherty, D. M., Schmitz, J. M., & Swann, A. C. (2001a). Psychiatric aspects of impulsivity. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(11), 1783–1793.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moeller, F. G., Dougherty, D. M., Barratt, E. S., Schmitz, J. M., Swann, A. C., & Grabowski, J. (2001b). The impact of impulsivity on cocaine use and retention in treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 21(4), 193–198.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morris, S. E., & Cuthbert, B. N. (2012). Research Domain Criteria: cognitive systems, neural circuits, and dimensions of behavior. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14(1), 29–37.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Nenadic, I., Maitra, R., Dietzek, M., Langbein, K., Smesny, S., Sauer, H., & Gaser, C. (2015). Prefrontal gyrification in psychotic bipolar I disorder vs. schizophrenia. Journal of Affective Disorders, 185, 104–107. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.06.014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nesvag, R., Schaer, M., Haukvik, U. K., Westlye, L. T., Rimol, L. M., Lange, E. H., Hartberg, C. B., Ottet, M. C., Melle, I., Andreassen, O. A., Jonsson, E. G., Agartz, I., & Eliez, S. (2014). Reduced brain cortical folding in schizophrenia revealed in two independent samples. Schizophrenia Research, 152(2–3), 333–338. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2013.11.032.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Odlaug, B. L., Chamberlain, S. R., Derbyshire, K. L., Leppink, E. W., & Grant, J. E. (2014). Impaired response inhibition and excess cortical thickness as candidate endophenotypes for trichotillomania. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 59, 167–173. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.08.010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palaniyappan, L., & Liddle, P. F. (2012). Dissociable morphometric differences of the inferior parietal lobule in schizophrenia. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. doi:10.1007/s00406-012-0314-y.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palaniyappan, L., & Liddle, P. F. (2014). Diagnostic discontinuity in psychosis: a combined study of cortical gyrification and functional connectivity. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 40(3), 675–684. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbt050.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, J. H., Stanford, M. S., & Barratt, E. S. (1995). Factor structure of the Barratt impulsiveness scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51(6), 768–774.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peluso, M. A., Hatch, J. P., Glahn, D. C., Monkul, E. S., Sanches, M., Najt, P., Bowden, C. L., Barratt, E. S., & Soares, J. C. (2007). Trait impulsivity in patients with mood disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 100(1–3), 227–231. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.09.037.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preuss, U. W., Rujescu, D., Giegling, I., Watzke, S., Koller, G., Zetzsche, T., Meisenzahl, E. M., Soyka, M., & Moller, H. J. (2008). Psychometric evaluation of the German version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Der Nervenarzt, 79(3), 305–319. doi:10.1007/s00115-007-2360-7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rousseaux M, Honoré J, Saj A (2014) Body representations and brain damage. Neurophysiologie Clinique/Clinical Neurophysiology 44(1):59–67

  • Sauvage, C., Jissendi, P., Seignan, S., Manto, M., & Habas, C. (2013). Brain areas involved in the control of speed during a motor sequence of the foot: real movement versus mental imagery. Journal of Neuroradiology, 40(4), 267–280. doi:10.1016/j.neurad.2012.10.001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaer, M., Cuadra, M. B., Tamarit, L., Lazeyras, F., Eliez, S., & Thiran, J. P. (2008). A surface-based approach to quantify local cortical gyrification. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 27(2), 161–170. doi:10.1109/TMI.2007.903576.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schaer, M., Cuadra, M. B., Schmansky, N., Fischl, B., Thiran, J. P., & Eliez, S. (2012). How to measure cortical folding from MR images: a step-by-step tutorial to compute local gyrification index. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 59, e3417. doi:10.3791/3417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaer, M., Ottet, M. C., Scariati, E., Dukes, D., Franchini, M., Eliez, S., & Glaser, B. (2013). Decreased frontal gyrification correlates with altered connectivity in children with autism. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 750. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00750.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schilling, C., Kuhn, S., Romanowski, A., Schubert, F., Kathmann, N., & Gallinat, J. (2012). Cortical thickness correlates with impulsiveness in healthy adults. NeuroImage, 59(1), 824–830. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.07.058.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schilling, C., Kuhn, S., Paus, T., Romanowski, A., Banaschewski, T., Barbot, A., Barker, G. J., Bruhl, R., Buchel, C., Conrod, P. J., Dalley, J. W., Flor, H., Ittermann, B., Ivanov, N., Mann, K., Martinot, J. L., Nees, F., Rietschel, M., Robbins, T. W., Smolka, M. N., Strohle, A., Kathmann, N., Garavan, H., Heinz, A., Schumann, G., Gallinat, J., & consortium I. (2013a). Cortical thickness of superior frontal cortex predicts impulsiveness and perceptual reasoning in adolescence. Molecular Psychiatry, 18(5), 624–630. doi:10.1038/mp.2012.56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schilling, C., Kuhn, S., Romanowski, A., Banaschewski, T., Barbot, A., Barker, G. J., Bruhl, R., Buchel, C., Charlet, K., Conrod, P. J., Czech, K., Dalley, J. W., Flor, H., Hake, I., Ittermann, B., Ivanov, N., Mann, K., Ludemann, K., Martinot, J. L., Palafox, C., Paus, T., Poline, J. B., Reuter, J., Rietschel, M., Robbins, T. W., Smolka, M. N., Strohle, A., Walaszek, B., Kathmann, N., Schumann, G., Heinz, A., Garavan, H., Gallinat, J., & consortium I. (2013b). Common structural correlates of trait impulsiveness and perceptual reasoning in adolescence. Human Brain Mapping, 34(2), 374–383. doi:10.1002/hbm.21446.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, C. C., Koch, K., Wagner, G., Roebel, M., Schachtzabel, C., Gaser, C., Nenadic, I., Reichenbach, J. R., Sauer, H., & Schlosser, R. G. (2010). Reduced cortical thickness in first episode schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 116(2–3), 204–209. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2009.11.001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, C. C., Nenadic, I., Koch, K., Wagner, G., Roebel, M., Schachtzabel, C., Muhleisen, T. W., Nothen, M. M., Cichon, S., Deufel, T., Kiehntopf, M., Rietschel, M., Reichenbach, J. R., Sauer, H., & Schlosser, R. G. (2011). Reduced cortical thickness is associated with the glutamatergic regulatory gene risk variant DAOA Arg30Lys in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology: Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 36(8), 1747–1753. doi:10.1038/npp.2011.56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schulz, K. P., Bedard, A. C., Czarnecki, R., & Fan, J. (2011). Preparatory activity and connectivity in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex for cognitive control. NeuroImage, 57(1), 242–250. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.04.023.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Segonne, F., Dale, A. M., Busa, E., Glessner, M., Salat, D., Hahn, H. K., & Fischl, B. (2004). A hybrid approach to the skull stripping problem in MRI. NeuroImage, 22(3), 1060–1075. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.03.032.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sled, J. G., Zijdenbos, A. P., & Evans, A. C. (1998). A nonparametric method for automatic correction of intensity nonuniformity in MRI data. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 17(1), 87–97. doi:10.1109/42.668698.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Soloff, P. H., Pruitt, P., Sharma, M., Radwan, J., White, R., & Diwadkar, V. A. (2012). Structural brain abnormalities and suicidal behavior in borderline personality disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46(4), 516–525. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.01.003.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sripada, C. S., Gonzalez, R., Phan, K. L., & Liberzon, I. (2011). The neural correlates of intertemporal decision-making: contributions of subjective value, stimulus type, and trait impulsivity. Human Brain Mapping, 32(10), 1637–1648. doi:10.1002/hbm.21136.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stanford, M. S., Mathias, C. W., Dougherty, D. M., Lake, S. L., Anderson, N. E., & Patton, J. H. (2009). Fifty years of the Barratt impulsiveness scale: an update and review. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 385–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L., Albert, D., Cauffman, E., Banich, M., Graham, S., & Woolard, J. (2008). Age differences in sensation seeking and impulsivity as indexed by behavior and self-report: evidence for a dual systems model. Developmental Psychology, 44(6), 1764–1778. doi:10.1037/a0012955.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoltenberg, S. F., Batien, B. D., & Birgenheir, D. G. (2008). Does gender moderate associations among impulsivity and health-risk behaviors? Addictive Behaviors, 33(2), 252–265. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.09.004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swann, A. C., Moeller, F. G., Steinberg, J. L., Schneider, L., Barratt, E. S., & Dougherty, D. M. (2007). Manic symptoms and impulsivity during bipolar depressive episodes. Bipolar Disorders, 9(3), 206–212. doi:10.1111/j.1399-5618.2007.00357.x.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Swann, N., Tandon, N., Canolty, R., Ellmore, T. M., McEvoy, L. K., Dreyer, S., DiSano, M., & Aron, A. R. (2009). Intracranial EEG reveals a time- and frequency-specific role for the right inferior frontal gyrus and primary motor cortex in stopping initiated responses. The Journal of Neuroscience: The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 29(40), 12675–12685. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3359-09.2009.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tabibnia, G., Monterosso, J. R., Baicy, K., Aron, A. R., Poldrack, R. A., Chakrapani, S., Lee, B., & London, E. D. (2011). Different forms of self-control share a neurocognitive substrate. The Journal of Neuroscience: The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31(13), 4805–4810. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2859-10.2011.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomann, P. A., Hirjak, D., Kubera, K, M., Stieltjes, B., Wolf, R. C. (2015). Neural network activity and neurological soft signs in healthy adults. Behavioural Brain Research, 278, 514–9. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2014.10.044.

  • Van Schuerbeek, P., Baeken, C., De Raedt, R., De Mey, J., & Luypaert, R. (2011). Individual differences in local gray and white matter volumes reflect differences in temperament and character: a voxel-based morphometry study in healthy young females. Brain Research, 1371, 32–42. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2010.11.073.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vogt, B. A., Vogt, L., & Laureys, S. (2006). Cytology and functionally correlated circuits of human posterior cingulate areas. NeuroImage, 29(2), 452–466. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.07.048.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whelan, R., Conrod, P. J., Poline, J. B., Lourdusamy, A., Banaschewski, T., Barker, G. J., Bellgrove, M. A., Buchel, C., Byrne, M., Cummins, T. D., Fauth-Buhler, M., Flor, H., Gallinat, J., Heinz, A., Ittermann, B., Mann, K., Martinot, J. L., Lalor, E. C., Lathrop, M., Loth, E., Nees, F., Paus, T., Rietschel, M., Smolka, M. N., Spanagel, R., Stephens, D. N., Struve, M., Thyreau, B., Vollstaedt-Klein, S., Robbins, T. W., Schumann, G., Garavan, H., & Consortium, I. (2012). Adolescent impulsivity phenotypes characterized by distinct brain networks. Nature Neuroscience, 15(6), 920–925. doi:10.1038/nn.3092.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan, K., Cheng, P., Dong, T., Bi, Y., Xing, L., Yu, D., Zhao, L., Dong, M., von Deneen, K. M., Liu, Y., Qin, W., & Tian, J. (2013). Cortical thickness abnormalities in late adolescence with online gaming addiction. PloS One, 8(1), e53055. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053055.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zilles, K., Armstrong, E., Schleicher, A., Kretschmann, H. J. (1988). The human pattern of gyrification in the cerebral cortex. Anatomy and Embryology (Berlin), 179(2), 173–9.

  • Zilles, K., Palomero-Gallagher, N., & Amunts, K. (2013). Development of cortical folding during evolution and ontogeny. Trends in Neurosciences, 36(5), 275–284. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2013.01.006.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors cordially thank all participants for their time and interest in this study.

Contributors

DH designed the study, performed image processing and statistical analyses, undertook neurological, psychopathological and psychometric assessments, and wrote the manuscript. AKT designed the study, performed image processing, and wrote the manuscript. KMK was involved in designing the study, performed image processing and contributed to the interpretation of the results. RCW supervised statistical analyses and contributed to the interpretation of the results. HJ contributed to the interpretation of the results. KMH implemented the image acquisition sequence and supervised MRI procedures. PAT designed the study, performed image processing and statistical analyses, wrote the manuscript, and supervised diagnostic procedures. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.

Author information

Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, D-69115, Heidelberg, Germany

      Dusan Hirjak, Robert C. Wolf, Haang Jeung & Philipp A. Thomann

    2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany

      Dusan Hirjak

    3. Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

      Anne K. Thomann

    4. Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany

      Katharina M. Kubera & Robert C. Wolf

    5. Junior Group Medical Image Computing, Division of Medical and Biological Informatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

      Klaus H. Maier-Hein

    Authors
    1. Dusan Hirjak
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    2. Anne K. Thomann
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    3. Katharina M. Kubera
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    4. Robert C. Wolf
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    5. Haang Jeung
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    6. Klaus H. Maier-Hein
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    7. Philipp A. Thomann
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Dusan Hirjak.

    Ethics declarations

    All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

    Conflict of interest

    The authors have declared that there are no conflicts of interest in relation to the subject of this study.

    Informed consent

    Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

    Additional information

    Dusan Hirjak and Anne K. Thomann contributed equally to this work.

    Electronic supplementary material

    Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

    Supplementary Fig. 1

    The regions positively (red-yellow) correlated with BIS-11 scores; co-varied for age, gender and education; (p < 0.05 CWP corrected; N = 54). (GIF 244 kb)

    High Resolution (TIFF 1141 kb)

    Supplementary Table 1

    (DOCX 19 kb)

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

    Cite this article

    Hirjak, D., Thomann, A.K., Kubera, K.M. et al. Cortical folding patterns are associated with impulsivity in healthy young adults. Brain Imaging and Behavior 11, 1592–1603 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-016-9618-2

    Download citation

    • Published:

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-016-9618-2

    Keywords

    Search

    Navigation