The interhemispheric auditory white matter tract is associated with impulsivity

The association between auditory processing and impulsivity has been consistently shown. However, the exact mechanism and pathological relations are not clear. The bilateral auditory cortices are interhemispherically connected through the corpus callosum. We hypothesized that this Interhemispheric Auditory white matter Tract (IAT) is associated with impulsivity. We first isolated the IAT and tested the association between IAT's integrity and impulsivity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from Nathan Kline Institute - Rockland Sample. Fractional Anisotropy (FA) was used as an index of white matter integrity. Out of 446 individuals, probabilistic tractography of IAT was successful in 390 individuals. FA of the IAT showed positive association with impulsivity scale, measured by UPPS (urgency, premeditation, perseverance, and sensation seeking) Impulsive Behavior Scale total score. Among five UPPS subscales, sensation seeking showed positive association with IAT FA. Our results showed that higher IAT FA is associated with higher impulsivity, especially with higher sensation seeking. It is suggested that stronger interhemispheric auditory integration is associated with greater impulsivity and sensation seeking.

Automated summary

The integrity of the interhemispheric auditory white matter tract is associated with impulsivity, especially sensation seeking. Stronger interhemispheric auditory integration is suggested to be related to greater impulsivity and sensation seeking.