Impulsivity mediates the relationship between caudate nucleus volume and academic achievement
Poster No:
581
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Wi Hoon Jung1, Youngwoo Bryan Yoon2, Euitae Kim3
Institutions:
1Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 2New York University, New York, NY, 3Seoul National University, Seoul, Seoul
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Grade Point Average (GPA) is widely used in schools and universities to measure a student's performance and academic achievement. A student's GPA during college has a significant impact on future career development, including job prospects and opportunities. Previous investigation has explored the neurobiological mechanisms underlying adolescent school performance, but these mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially for college students. Impulsivity has been highlighted as a key factor influencing academic success. However, its influence on the relationship between school performance and brain structure remains underexplored. Therefore, we investigated which brain areas are related to the academic achievement (GPA) of college studies, whether the regions associated with academic achievement above are also associated with their impulsivity, and whether impulsivity plays a mediating role in the relationship between identified regions and academic achievement.
Methods:
A total of 153 college students were included in this study. Their academic achievement and level of impulsivity were measured by GPA and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS)-11. Additionally, high-resolution T1-weighted anatomical images were collected to measure their gray matter volume (GMV). Preprocessing of T1-weighted images was carried out using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT), implemented in SPM12 for voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis, with the default options. In brief, T1-weighted images were corrected for bias-filed inhomogeneities, after which they were segmented into gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid. Next, segmented images were normalized, and Jacobian determinants were applied to modulate the gray matter values in each voxel to maintain consistency. Finally, data were smoothed with a 6 mm full-width at half-maximum Gaussian kernel.
The following three statistical analyzes were conducted with the preprocessed T1 data. First, we performed a whole-brain voxel-level regression analysis to explore the neuroanatomical correlates of school performance (GPA). In the regression model, the dependent variable was set as the GMV of each voxel in the entire brain, the independent variable was set as school performance (GPA), and the controlling variables were age, sex, handedness, duration of education, and total intracranial volume. Significant areas were determined using multiple comparison correction with the following settings: family wise error rate (FWE)-corrected p < 0.05 at the cluster level combined with uncorrected p < 0.001 at the height level. Second, we performed Spearman correlation analyses between the GMVs of the identified region (caudate nucleus, CN; see Results below for more details) and impulsivity (p < 0.05). Finally, based on results from the above-mentioned analyzes [the relationship between the GMV of CN and GPA, and between the GMV of CN and impulsivity], we performed mediation analyses to investigate whether impulsivity (M) could explain the effects of brain anatomy (X) on school performance (Y). using the Mediation Toolbox (https://github.com/canlab/MediationToolbox).
The following three statistical analyzes were conducted with the preprocessed T1 data. First, we performed a whole-brain voxel-level regression analysis to explore the neuroanatomical correlates of school performance (GPA). In the regression model, the dependent variable was set as the GMV of each voxel in the entire brain, the independent variable was set as school performance (GPA), and the controlling variables were age, sex, handedness, duration of education, and total intracranial volume. Significant areas were determined using multiple comparison correction with the following settings: family wise error rate (FWE)-corrected p < 0.05 at the cluster level combined with uncorrected p < 0.001 at the height level. Second, we performed Spearman correlation analyses between the GMVs of the identified region (caudate nucleus, CN; see Results below for more details) and impulsivity (p < 0.05). Finally, based on results from the above-mentioned analyzes [the relationship between the GMV of CN and GPA, and between the GMV of CN and impulsivity], we performed mediation analyses to investigate whether impulsivity (M) could explain the effects of brain anatomy (X) on school performance (Y). using the Mediation Toolbox (https://github.com/canlab/MediationToolbox).
Results:
The GMVs of bilateral CN were negatively associated with an individual's level of school performance. Additionally, the GMV of right CN was positively correlated with impulsivity. Finally, the impulsivity showed a negative mediation effect (path a × b), resulting from the impulsivity-associated increase in GMV of right CN (path a) and a negative impulsivity-school performance (path b).
·Figure1. Mediation result
Conclusions:
Our results indicate the caudate nucleus plays crucial roles in a student's performance and associated impulsivity. Various interventions targeting impulsivity, such as counseling, therapy, and medication management, could improve educational outcomes by addressing the underlying neurobiological factors.
Education, History and Social Aspects of Brain Imaging:
Education, History and Social Aspects of Brain Imaging 1
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Reward and Punishment 2
Social Cognition
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Anatomy and Functional Systems
Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:
Anatomical MRI
Keywords:
Basal Ganglia
Cognition
Cortex
Morphometrics
MRI
STRUCTURAL MRI
Other - impulsivity
1|2Indicates the priority used for review