Voxel-Based Morphometry of Optimistic and Pessimistic Brains: A Detailed Study Focusing on Age Range and Gender

Year 2024, , 223 - 236, 15.03.2024

Pınar Ozel

https://doi.org/10.34248/bsengineering.1398432

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate brain volumes in pessimist and optimist participants. Therefore, in the present voxel-based morphometry research, it is investigated whether optimism has a corresponding counterpart in the structure of the brain. Thirty-two participants were screened via a publicly available dataset to test for this. The participants are divided into two groups: low optimists and high optimists, each with sixteen people. In comparison, a significant difference (P<0.05) was not found between the groups we created as a result of statistical calculations; however, statistically significant results (P<0.001) were obtained via a detailed VBM analysis in many brain regions, especially the thalamus, amygdala, left insula, superior frontal gyrus, and right cerebellum regions. These differences were identified and reported.

Keywords

Voxel based morphometry, Magnetic resonance imaging, Optimistic, Pessimistic

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