Moody and neurotic? It could be down to your brain shape

Moody? Neurotic? The outer layer of your brain is probably thicker and less wrinkled than that of your more personable friends.

A team at Cambridge University studied brain imaging from 507 people to try and link the shape of our brains with five key personality traits.

The team concluded that the outer layer of the brain - similar to the skin of an apple - is thicker and the brain less folded in neurotic people who are prone to mood changes and psychiatric disorders.

Individuals with 'open' personalities linked to curiosity and creativity show the opposite. The outer layer of their brains is thinner and the brain more folded in certain regions, with a greater surface area.

Researcher Dr Luca Passamonti says that long-term applications could include early diagnosis of severe anxiety and other psychiatric disorders.

He says the research shows evidence of a compromise within the human brain.

"Evolution has shaped our brain anatomy in a way that maximises its area and folding at the expense of reduced thickness of the cortex," he said.

"It's like stretching and folding a rubber sheet - this increases the surface area, but at the same time the sheet itself becomes thinner."

This stretching has allowed the human brain to expand rapidly without becoming too big for our skulls. It continues throughout our lives.

Psychologists break down human personality into five traits: neuroticism; openness; extraversion/enthusiasm; agreeableness (a measure of altruism); and conscientiousness (a measure of self-control).

The Cambridge researchers say that as we get older neuroticism decreases and we become better at handling emotions.

Meanwhile, the traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness grow more pronounced with age. As a result, people tend to become more responsible and less antagonistic as they get older.

Neuroscientist and MIT lecturer Dr Tara Swart says the new Cambridge research bolsters earlier evidence that the right sort of brain 'training' creates a measurable, physical benefit in the human brain.

"'Training' in this case means how we are brought up, educated, who we socialise with and also how much time we spend on mindfulness activities," she said.

"Mindfulness activities include yoga, 'mindful' walking, eating and quiet time in nature without digital devices. It's not just sitting cross legged and meditating.

"Studies have shown that just 12 minutes of mindfulness a day or 30 minutes of mindfulness three times a week leads to increased gyrification - in other words, more folds - in the pre-frontal cortex, enabling it to work better."