The neural basis of acceptance of uncertain situations: Relationship between ambiguity tolerance and the resting-state functional connectivity of the brain

Ambiguity tolerance (AT) is the way one perceives and processes ambiguous environmental stimulus information. By using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the Multiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance Scale-II (MSTAT-II), the present study investigated the association between AT and functional connectivity of the brain in 315 healthy young participants. Based on previous studies, the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), inferior parietal lobe (IPL), orbitofrontal gyrus (OFC), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), anterior insula (AI), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and amygdala were selected as the seed regions. We investigated the association between whole-brain functional connectivity and AT scores. The results showed a significant positive correlation between the AT scores and functional connectivity between the left IPL and middle cingulate cortex (MCC), left MFG, and left MTG, reflecting the neural basis of AT, which represents how people perceive ambiguous stimuli and assess possible risks underlying ambiguity. And the OFC was found a negative correlation between the AT scores and functional connectivity between the ACC, which revealed the underlying mechanism of ambiguity intolerance.