Neural activity linked to self-preoccupied thinking

People tend to be self-preoccupied. Self-interest is good when it ensures that one’s needs are met, but it can also be maladaptive; research shows that the tendency to self-focus promotes the occurrence of depression and anxiety and can even prolong these conditions. Is there a neural representation of self-preoccupation? Danika Geisler and Meghan Meyer, from Colombia University, explored this question in their new JNeurosci paper. 

The researchers first identified a pattern of neural activity that frequently appeared in a sample of 32 people while they took a mental break. This activity could predict whether people started thinking about themselves during the break a few seconds later. Geisler and Meyer then turned to a broadly used publicly available database called the Human Connectome project. From the data of 1,086 people, the researchers found that people who scored high on internalizing—a maladaptive form of self-preoccupied thinking—also moved in and out of this neural activity pattern during rest. Thus, the tendency to engage in self-centric thinking may be reflected by fluctuating activity in distinct brain areas during rest.  

Says Meyer, “We are excited to see what other aspects of everyday life our neural signature of self-preoccupation can predict. For example, Danika is working on an exciting project examining whether engaging this neural signature predicts people’s real-world social network positions. We are also interested in seeing if this neural signature can prospectively predict the onset of depression or anxiety; if so, intervening on this neural signature could offset the development of these mental health conditions.” 

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About JNeurosci 

JNeurosci was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship. 

About The Society for Neuroscience 

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.