Affective temperaments are associated with the white matter microstructure in healthy participants.

Objectives: Five affective temperaments are regarded as potential precursors of bipolar disorder. These are depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable, and anxious temperaments. However, the neural substrates underlying these temperaments have not been identified.

Identification of the neural correlates of cyclothymic temperament using a working memory task in fMRI.

Background: Recently, we reported a significantly negative association of cyclothymic temperament scores with activations of the left lingual gyrus during esthetic judgments of paintings, suggesting that cyclothymic temperament may be associated with the left lingual gyrus. In view of potential associations of cyclothymic temperament, bipolar disorder and dementia, this study examined the relationship of temperament to lingual gyrus activity using a working memory task as a new context.

Methods: N-back tasks (0-, 1-, 2- and 3-back tasks) were performed on 34 healthy subjects using functional MRI.

Identification of the neural correlates of cyclothymic temperament using an esthetic judgment for paintings task in fMRI.

Background: There is a well-known association between artistic creativity and cyclothymic temperament but the neural correlates of cyclothymic temperament have not yet been fully identified. Recently, we showed that the left lingual gyrus and bilateral cuneus may be associated with esthetic judgment of representational paintings, we therefore sought to investigate brain activity during esthetic judgment of paintings in relation to measures of cyclothymic temperament.

Methods: Regions of interest (ROI) were set at the left lingual gyrus and bilateral cuneus using automated anatomical labeling, and percent signal changes of the ROIs were measured by marsbar toolbox.

Difference in brain activations during appreciating paintings and photographic analogs.

Several studies have investigated neural correlates of aesthetic appreciation for paintings but to date the findings have been heterogeneous. This heterogeneity may be attributed to previous studies' measurement of aesthetic appreciation of not only the beauty of paintings but also the beauty of motifs of the paintings. In order to better elucidate the beauty of paintings, it seems necessary to compare aesthetic appreciation of paintings and photographic analogs which included corresponding real images.