Improving societal protection of brain health will involve substantially greater understanding of the factors that influence and are influenced by intricate patterns of brain connectivity across functional networks and cortical gradients. The present proposal represents a modest attempt to begin to define the role altered structural and functional brain connectivity relationships may have on human mood among other functions critical to human wellbeing such as cognition. Determinants such as genetics, personal (trauma) and community-based (deprivation) factors are likely to contribute to optimal patterns of brain connectivity and in turn, these may mediate outcomes critical to personal and social wellbeing. While many studies relate life adversity to mental wellbeing outcomes, the recent advances including our own defining connectivity gradients, offers the potential to investigate their role in mediating such relationships. Evidence derived from this proposal would support the development of effective policy interventions aimed at mental health and wellbeing in society and fundamentally advance our understanding of brain connectivity in relation to human functioning. Specifically, we will establish the contribution of genetic variation, personal and social factors such as trauma and deprivation to brain connectivity gradients of coupling (objective 1), investigate the relationship of connectivity patterns in mood and cognition (objective 2) and finally, construct an overall model including the determinants and consequences to examine the mediating role of brain connectivity gradients in mental wellbeing, ultimately aiming to identify modifiable factors that may support the development of brain health related research and policy development.
This research does not involve development of any proprietary AI model and will not in any way make participate level data available. TRIPOD AI guidelines apply to this research and will be adhered to in all analyses.