Metacognitive ability correlates with hippocampal and prefrontal microstructure

• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.008
• Publication Date: 2017-02-05T01:16:22Z
• Authors: Micah Allen; James C. Glen; Daniel Müllensiefen; Dietrich Samuel S...; Francesca Fardo; Darya Frank; Martina F. Callaghan; Geraint Rees
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 0301 basic medicine; Iron; Cognitive Neuroscience; Prefrontal Cortex; Neuroimaging; Hippocampus; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated; Article; Myelination; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; VARYING FLIP ANGLES; Humans; Microstructure; IN-VIVO; SPOILED FLASH; Brain Mapping; Science & Technology; Neurosciences; Quantitative MRI; MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS; MAGNETIZATION-TRANSFER; HUMAN BRAIN; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; INTRINSIC FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY; QUANTITATIVE MRI; Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging; Neurology; MYELIN CONTENT; Female; Neurosciences & Neurology; Radiology; HUMAN CEREBRAL-CORTEX; Metacognition; Life Sciences & Biomedicine

The ability to introspectively evaluate our experiences form accurate metacognitive beliefs, or insight, is an essential component of decision-making. Previous research suggests individuals vary substantially in their level and that this variation related brain volume function, particularly the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC). However, neurobiological mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear, as qualitative, macroscopic measures such can be a variety microstructural features. Here we leverage high-resolution (800µm isotropic) multi-parameter mapping technique 48 healthy delineate quantitative markers vivo histological features ability. Specifically, examined how neuroimaging local grey matter myelination iron content relate insight measured by signal-theoretic model subjective confidence. Our results revealed pattern correlates perceptual metacognition aPFC, precuneus, hippocampus, visual cortices. In particular, extend previous volumetric findings show right aPFC myeloarchitecture positively relates insight. contrast, decreased left hippocampus correlated with better These highlight reveal novel brain-behaviour may motivate future on environmental developmental underpinnings.