Multivariate neural markers of individual differences in thought control difficulties

Abstract

This study identified specific patterns of brain activity distributed within and across four different brain networks associated with an individual’s difficulties in controlling thoughts, a transdiagnostic feature of mental health disorders. Previously, we demonstrated that four working memory control operations—maintaining, replacing, suppressing, and clearing thoughts—are represented by distinct multi-voxel patterns of brain activation. Moreover, the exact pattern that characterizes these operations is distinct across four sets of brain regions, referred to as working memory operation networks, that include a Visual Network (VN), Somatomotor Network (SMN), Default Mode Network (DMN), and Frontoparietal Control Network (FPCN). The current study examined the hypothesis that aspects of these multi-voxel patterns are associated with an individual’s difficulty in controlling thoughts, as derived from a composite of three self-report questionnaires, in a non-clinical (N = 48) sample. Consistent with our hypothesis, three effects were observed. Individuals with higher levels of thought-control difficulty have less distinct multi-voxel patterns for each of the four operations, have a less distinct representation of the suppression and clear operations in the DMN network from its representations in other networks, and have a more variable representation of multiple operations within each of the FPCN, VN and SMN networks. These neural patterns accounted for over 30 % of the variance in self-reported thought difficulties. Moreover, these associations were specific to working memory operations as they were not observed at rest, highlighting their relevance for understanding the neural mechanisms of repetitive negative thinking and their potential as biomarkers for interventions targeting impaired thought control.