Individual differences in wellbeing are supported by separable sets of co-active self- and visual-attention-related brain networks

Abstract

AbstractHow does the brain support ‘wellbeing’? Because it is a multidimensional construct, it is likely the product of multiple co-active brain networks that vary across individuals. This is perhaps why prior neuroimaging studies have found inconsistent anatomical associations with wellbeing. Furthermore, these used ‘laboratory-style’ or ‘resting-state’ methods not amenable to finding manifold networks. To address these issues, we had participants watch a full-length romantic comedy-drama film during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We hypothesised that individual differences in wellbeing measured before scanning would be correlated with individual differences in brain networks associated with ‘embodied’ and ‘narrative’ self-related processing. Indeed, searchlight spatial inter-participant representational similarity and subsequent analyses revealed seven sets of co-activated networks associated with individual differences in wellbeing. Two were ‘embodied self’ related, including brain regions associated with autonomic and affective processing. Three sets were ‘narrative self’ related, involving speech, language, and autobiographical memory related regions. Finally, two sets of visual-attention related networks emerged. These results suggest that the neurobiology of wellbeing in the real-world is supported by diverse but functionally definable and separable sets of networks. This has implications for psychotherapy where individualised interventions might target, e.g., neuroplasticity in language-related narrative over embodied self or visual-attentional related processes.Significance StatementHumans deeply care about their own and others wellbeing. Yet, the role the brain plays in generating it remains unestablished, perhaps because wellbeing means different things to different people. Here, we asked whether individual differences in wellbeing are associated with differences in brain networks supporting ‘embodied’ and ‘narrative’ selves. That is, how people feel in their bodies and their emotions might contribute more to wellbeing in some individuals. In others, the stories people tell about themselves might be a more important determinant. Supporting this, we found that different self-ratings of wellbeing are associated with different embodied and narrative self-related networks. We also found differences in networks associated with visual-attention, suggesting that what people attend to in the visual world also contributes to wellbeing. These results have implications for how mental health professionals and other individuals might intervene to improve wellbeing by differentially focusing on embodied-self, narrative-self, or visual-attentional related processes.