Emotional characteristics and intrinsic brain network functional connectivity among adults aged 75+

Despite having a meaningful impact on the quality of life, emotional well-being is often understudied in older adults in favor of cognitive performance, particularly when examining its association with neurobiological function. Socially isolated older adults have poorer emotional health than their non-isolated peers and are at increased risk of dementia. Characterizing neurobiological correlates of emotional characteristics in this population may help elucidate pathways that link social isolation and dementia risk. In a sample of 50 socially isolated older adults aged 75+ years ("older-old"; 30 with mild cognitive impairment; 20 with unimpaired cognition), we use the National Institutes of Health Toolbox-Emotion Battery to examine associations between emotional characteristics and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-derived intrinsic brain network functional connectivity. We found a positive association between the default mode network connectivity and negative affect. Amygdala-ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) connectivity was negatively associated with psychological well-being and positively associated with negative affect. These results did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. These findings replicate, in a sample of socially isolated older-old adults, the previous work highlighting the relationship between amygdala-vmPFC connectivity and individual differences in emotional health, with more inverse connectivity associated with better emotional characteristics.