Neural correlates of resilience under different operational definitions: A resting-state fMRI study

Abstract

Different operationalizations of psychological resilience, the ability to rebound from adversity, have been adopted in the literature, each representing a specific dimension of resilience. This study aims to explore the underlying neural correlates of different operational definitions of resilience in the same participant using resting-state fMRI. Fifty-eight healthy university students in Hong Kong who underwent resting-state fMRI brain scanning were included. Their self-perceived overall, state and trait, and outcome-based resilience levelswere measured by different resilience scales. Multiple regression analyses were performed between the different measures of resilience and the whole-brain regional homogeneity (ReHo), and between resilience measures and long-range functional connectivity from both a whole-brain and a seed-based approach using fourteen preselected brain regions. The State Resilience Scale was found to be negatively associated with the ReHo of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus. The outcome-based measure of resilience was negatively associated with the ReHo of the angular gyrus and insula. The Trait Resilience Scale was found to be negatively associated with the functional connectivity between the amygdala and inferior frontal gyrus from both a whole-brain and a seed-based approach. No overlapping regions or pathways were found, indicating that different operationalizations of resilience represent distinct areas of resilience.