Medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortical thickness predicts shared individual differences in self-generated thought and temporal discounting.

摘要: When deprived of compelling perceptual input, the mind is often occupied with thoughts unrelated to immediate environment. Previous behavioral research has shown that this self-generated task-unrelated thought (TUT), especially under non-demanding conditions, relates cognitive capacities such as creativity, planning, and reduced temporal discounting. Despite frequency importance type cognition, little known about its structural brain basis. Using MRI-based cortical thickness measures in 37 participants, we were able show individuals a higher tendency engage TUT low-demanding conditions (but not high-demanding conditions) an increased medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) anterior/midcingulate cortex. Thickness these regions also related less discounting (TD) monetary rewards economic task, indicative more patient decision-making. The findings shared substrate mPFC underlying both TD suggest important role supporting self-generation information environment which may be adaptive nature.