Amygdala-putamen connectivity links gratitude to greater well-being

INTRODUCTION: Gratitude plays a crucial role in promoting affective well-being, yet the neural mechanisms underlying their relationship remains unclear. Given the central role of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and amygdala in emotion and reward processing, this study investigated whether resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of these subcortical regions correlates with trait gratitude and mediates its association with affective well-being. METHODS: Resting-state fMRI data were collected from 363 young adults. Seed-based connectivity analyses identified NAcc and amygdala connectivity patterns associated with trait gratitude. Mediation analyses tested whether these patterns explained the association between gratitude and affective well-being. RESULTS: Trait gratitude was linked to stronger connectivity between the left NAcc and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and left posterior superior temporal sulcus; between the right NAcc and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), right inferior temporal gyrus and bilateral fusiform; and between the right amygdala and right DLPFC, superior temporal gyrus, cerebellum, and putamen. Critically, the right amygdala-putamen connectivity mediated the relationship between gratitude and positive affective well-being. CONCLUSIONS: The right amygdala-putamen RSFC links gratitude to greater affective well-being. This finding identifies a specific subcortical pathway through which grateful dispositions translate into emotional benefit and suggests a potential target for interventions aimed at improving mental health.