TY - JOUR

T1 - Metacognitive ability correlates with hippocampal and prefrontal microstructure

AU - Allen, Micah

AU - Glen, James C.

AU - Mullensiefen, Daniel

AU - Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Samuel

AU - Fardo, Francesca

AU - Frank, Darya

AU - Callaghan, Martina F.

AU - Rees, Geraint

PY - 2017/4/1

Y1 - 2017/4/1

N2 - The ability to introspectively evaluate our experiences to form accurate metacognitive beliefs, or insight, is an essential component of decision-making. Previous research suggests individuals vary substantially in their level of insight, and that this variation is related to brain volume and function, particularly in the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC). However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear, as qualitative, macroscopic measures such as brain volume can be related to a variety of microstructural features. Here we leverage a high-resolution (800 mu m isotropic) multi-parameter mapping technique in 48 healthy individuals to delineate quantitative markers of in vivo histological features underlying metacognitive ability. Specifically, we examined how neuroimaging markers of local grey matter myelination and iron content relate to insight as measured by a signal-theoretic model of subjective confidence. Our results revealed a pattern of microstructural correlates of perceptual metacognition in the aPFC, precuneus, hippocampus, and visual cortices. In particular, we extend previous volumetric findings to show that right aPFC myeloarchitecture positively relates to metacognitive insight. In contrast, decreased myelination in the left hippocampus correlated with better metacognitive insight. These results highlight the ability of quantitative neuroimaging to reveal novel brain behaviour correlates and may motivate future research on their environmental and developmental underpinnings.

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

KW - Metacognition

KW - Quantitative MRI

KW - Hippocampus

KW - Iron

KW - Myelination

KW - Microstructure

KW - INTRINSIC FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY

KW - HUMAN CEREBRAL-CORTEX

KW - VARYING FLIP ANGLES

KW - HUMAN BRAIN

KW - IN-VIVO

KW - MAGNETIZATION-TRANSFER

KW - QUANTITATIVE MRI

KW - MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

KW - MYELIN CONTENT

KW - SPOILED FLASH

U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.008

DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.008

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28179164

VL - 149

SP - 415

EP - 423

JO - NeuroImage

JF - NeuroImage

SN - 1053-8119

ER -