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

Abstract

How 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.