title: Curious monkeys have increased gray matter density in the precuneus.
abstract: Curiosity is a cornerstone of cognition that has the potential to lead to innovations and increase the behavioral repertoire of individuals. A defining characteristic of curiosity is inquisitiveness directed toward novel objects. Species differences in innovative behavior and inquisitiveness have been linked to social complexity and neocortical size [18]. In this study, we observed behavioral actions among nine socially reared and socially housed capuchin monkeys in response to an unfamiliar object, a paradigm widely employed as a means to assess curiosity. K-means hierarchical clustering analysis of the behavioral responses revealed three monkeys engaged in significantly more exploratory behavior of the novel object than other monkeys. Using voxel-based-morphometry analysis of MRIs obtained from these same subjects, we demonstrated that the more curious monkeys had significantly greater gray matter density in the precuneus, a cortical region involved in highly integrated processes including memory and self-awareness. These results linking variation in precuneus gray matter volume to exploratory behavior suggest that monitoring states of self-awareness may play a role in cognitive processes mediating individual curiosity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA. Kimberley.Phillips@Trinity.edu
authors.forename: Kimberley A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Francys
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Subiaul
authors.forename: Chet C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sherwood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002428:Cebus; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male