Impact Of Learned Helplessness On Cognitive Performance And Resting-State Connectivity: An fMRI Study

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Learned helplessness (LH) is the phenomenon of resignation in the face of a problematic situation and is caused by the feeling of lacking control in a situation due to internal or external factors. This means that an individual does not seek to resolve the situation they are confronted with and consciously or unconsciously chooses to be passive. The Dorsal Raphe Nucleus (DRN) core could be at the root of the persistent action of the LH phenomenon and influences regions such as the striatum and amygdala. It is thought that the LH phenomenon could affect self-perception and it has been shown that the default mode network (DMN) is often associated with self-reflection during the resting state (RS) phase. It is therefore possible that LH influences both self-perception and the DMN. Based on previous studies, we investigated how LH affects participants. We used functional MRI (fMRI) to test this hypothesis. Participants were divided into two groups, subjected to solvable (control group), and solvable plus unsolvable (LH group) cognitive tasks. We also measured electrodermal signals, OCEAN (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) personality scores, variables related to the anagram resolution, and related these to LH. The study revealed significant differences in the RS contrast between the two groups, with the Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC) (an area of the DMN) being more connected to the DRN in the LH group than in the control group, and a portion of the Superior Temporal Gyrus being more connected to the PCC in the control group than in the LH group. These results suggest that LH may have a direct impact on the DMN and could lead to the start of long-term changes.