This document outlines a research study investigating the neural underpinnings of mental resilience in military contexts. The study involves four parts using 40 male soldiers to examine how personality and brain activity during stressful tasks predict performance and well-being. Brain regions like the prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex are predicted to show enhanced activation in resilient soldiers. Understanding decision-making and the brain's response to trauma may provide insight into enhanced abilities under pressure.

1. P R I F Y S G O L
BANGOR
U N I V E R S I T Y
Professor
Paul
Downing
School
of
Psychology
Bangor
University,
UK
P.Downing@bangor.ac.uk
Professor
Lew
Hardy
School
of
Sport,
Health
and
Exercise
Sciences
Bangor
University,
UK
L.Hardy@bangor.ac.uk
Dr.
Ross
Roberts
School
of
Sport,
Health
and
Exercise
Sciences
Bangor
University,
UK
Ross.Roberts@bangor.ac.uk
Leanne
K
Simpson
School
of
Psychology
Bangor
University,
UK
L.Simpson@bangor.ac.uk
Introduc>on
Mental
resilience
is
a
stable
disposiGon
associated
with
an
ability
to
deal
with
a
wide
variety
of
stressors
and
obstacles,
and
yet
sGll
funcGon
at
a
high
level
under
pressure.
It
is
important
in
many
areas
of
life,
but
probably
none
more
so
than
military
environments.
This
is
because
soldiers
face
a
mulGtude
of
unique,
varied,
and
oKen
intense
stressors
on
a
daily
basis,
in
training
and
operaGonal
environments
and
are
required
to
maintain
high
performance
standards.
The
neurocogniGve
basis
of
Mental
Resilience
(See
Figure
1)
in
military
contexts
is
a
relaGvely
understudied
area.
Goals
1. Understand
decision
making
and
it’s
interacGon
with
performance
and
emoGonal
trauma
in
relaGon
to
mental
resilience
.
2. Understand
the
neural
underpinnings
of
these
different
aspects
of
Mental
Resilience.
3. Examine
how
psychometric
profiles,
combined
with
individual
fMRI
measures
of
brain
acGvity,
predict
performance
and
mental
well-­‐
being
in
recruit
training
and
operaGonal
contexts.
Design
Ø The
research
will
culminate
in
a
4
part
study
using
40
par>cipants.
Ø Par>cipants
will
be
male
soldiers
from
units
that
conduct
dismounted
close
combat.
Figure
2.
Example
of
a
VBS
simulaGon.
For
this
study
a
VBS
scenario
will
be
developed
specifically
to
be
used
within
the
scanner
environment.
Analysis
Part
1.
&
Part
2.
Personality
predicts
resilience.
Part
3.
&
Part
4.
Intersubject
correlaGon
analysis
-­‐
allows
the
detecGon
of
all
sensory
driven
corGcal
areas
without
the
need
of
any
prior
design
matrix
or
assumpGons
of
their
exact
funcGonal
responses.
Figure
1.
Depicted
in
this
figure
are
brain
regions
oKen
involved
in
resilience
to
stress.
Adapted
from
Schloesser,
Huang,
Klein
&
Manji,
(2007).
Predic>ons
Ø Decision
making
is
relevant
in
understanding
enhanced
performance
Ø We
predict
enhanced
neural
acGvaGon
in
the
dorsal
premotor/
prefrontal
cortex
(including
frontal
eye
fields),
as
well
as
the
parietal
cortex
(See
Figure
3;
Cosic,
et
al.,
2012).
Ø This
network
is
important
as
it
may
provide
insight
into
soldiers
enhanced
ability
to
anGcipate
and
conceive
possible
responses
(described
by
Hardy
et
al.,
(2014)
as
an
“early
warning
system”)
to
presented
combat
situaGons.
UK
Unclassified
Funded
by
the
MoD
through
DSTL/PS80252
Part
1.
Self
report
Personality
QuesGonnaire
Part
2.
Informant
measure
of
mental
resilience
Part
3.
Scanning
task
-­‐PresentaGon
of
a
series
of
emoGonally
evocaGve
images.
Part
4.
Scanning
task
-­‐
Execute
a
Virtual
Badle
Space
(VBS)
mission
(See
Figure
2).
Figure
3.
AcGvaGon
paderns(p<
0.05)
of
mission-­‐ready
soldiers
compared
to
novice
for
combat
video-­‐clips
relaGve
to
baseline
sGmuli.
Paderns
rendered
on
the
brain
surface
show
acGvaGon
in
posterior
parietal
cortex,
posterior
temporal
cortex,
premotor/prefrontal
cortex,
and
dorsolateral
prefrontal
cortex.
NoGce
laterality
of
acGvaGon
with
increased
BOLD
responses
in
right
posterior
temporal
cortex
(Cosic,
et
al.,
2012).
References
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