Dialectical thinking is linked with smaller bilateral nucleus accumbens and right amygdala: the mediating role of sensitivity to reward

摘要: Our current work examined the interface of thinking style and mental health at both behavioral and neuropsychological levels which describe a predisposition to psychopathology. Thirty-nine Chinese participants were divided into high and low holistic thinkers based on the triad task scores, completed the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), and performed structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that high holistic thinkers were much less sensitive to reward than low holistic thinkers. Furthermore, their bilateral nucleus accumbens and right amygdala volumes were smaller than those of low holistic thinkers. Our integrated results showed that the relationship between holistic thinking tendency and the amygdala volume was mediated by the nucleus accumbens and the sensitivity to reward. Finally, resting-state functional connectivity results showed increased FC between left nucleus accumbens and bilateral amygdala in high holistic thinkers. The present synthetical results suggest that dialectical thinking may lead to better mental health outcomes.