title: The structural neural substrate of subjective happiness.
abstract: Happiness is a subjective experience that is an ultimate goal for humans. Psychological studies have shown that subjective happiness can be measured reliably and consists of emotional and cognitive components. However, the neural substrates of subjective happiness remain unclear. To investigate this issue, we used structural magnetic resonance imaging and questionnaires that assessed subjective happiness, the intensity of positive and negative emotional experiences, and purpose in life. We found a positive relationship between the subjective happiness score and gray matter volume in the right precuneus. Moreover, the same region showed an association with the combined positive and negative emotional intensity and purpose in life scores. Our findings suggest that the precuneus mediates subjective happiness by integrating the emotional and cognitive components of happiness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Brain Activity Imaging Center, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kochiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uono
authors.affiliation: Health and Medical Services Center, Shiga University, 1-1-1, Baba, Hikone, Shiga 522-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.|The Organization for Promoting Developmental Disorder Research, 40 Shogoin-Sannocho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8392, Japan.
authors.forename: Motomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toichi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult