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PubMed2001

Genetic covariation of neuroticism with monoamine oxidase activity and smoking.

Variation in the personality trait of neuroticism is known to be affected by genetic influences, but despite a number of association studies, the genes involved have not yet been characterized. In a recent study of platelet monoamine oxidase in 1,551 twin subjects, we found a significant association between monoamine oxidase activity and scores on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire neuroticism scale. Further analyses presented here indicate that both neuroticism and monoamine oxidase activity are associated with variation in smoking habits, and that adjusting for the effect of smoking strengthens the association between MAO and neuroticism. Analysis of the genetic and environmental sources of covariation between neuroticism, smoking, and monoamine oxidase activity show that approximately 8% of the genetic variance in neuroticism is due to the same additive genetic effects that contribute to variation in monoamine oxidase activity, suggesting that variation in neuroticism is associated in part with aspects of serotonin metabolism.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Neuroticism, symptom reports, and type A behavior: interpretive cautions for the Framingham Scale.

The Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS) is one of three primary measures of Type A behavior. Unlike the structured interview (SI) and Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS), the FTAS is correlated with neuroticism. Further, neuroticism and FTAS scores predict angina-like chest pain complaints but not more definitive coronary heart disease (CHD) end points. Thus, the FTAS may be unique among Type A measures in its susceptibility to the neuroticism-symptom reporting confound. The present study examined associations of the SI, JAS, and FTAS with neuroticism and symptom reporting in two independent samples of undergraduate males. Unlike the SI and JAS, the FTAS was correlated with neuroticism and symptom reporting. Further, the correlations of FTAS scores and symptoms were due to shared variance with neuroticism. The findings are discussed in terms of a possible alternative interpretation of the Framingham Study and the need to consider neuroticism in studies of personality and health.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Neuroticism and personality disorder in depression.

Neuroticism and DSM-III personality disorder were studied in 39 depressed inpatients. Interrelationships between these variables and their relationship to depressive typology were compared. The relationship of neuroticism, DSM-III personality type and adequacy of personality to MAOI treatment are also examined. Neuroticism scores were unaffected by short-term treatment, and no differences in neuroticism were observed between melancholics and nonmelancholics, or between endogenous and nonendogenous depressives. Higher neuroticism scores were associated with DSM-III personality disorder. Personality disorder occurred significantly more often in nonmelancholia; borderline, antisocial and histrionic personality disorders occurred exclusively in nonmelancholia, while passive-aggressive, dependent and avoidant disorders occurred in both kinds of depression. Response to MAO inhibitor treatment was similar in patients with high and low neuroticism, adequate and inadequate personality, DSM-III personality disorder and no DSM-III personality disorder. Ambiguities of Eysenck's neuroticism scale are discussed in relationship to depression.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗

PubMed2005

Correlation between striatal dopamine D2 receptor density and neuroticism in community volunteers.

The central dopaminergic system, as well as the central serotonergic system, has been reported to be correlated with higher neuroticism. The present study examined the relationship between striatal dopamine D(2) receptor density and neuroticism. Neuroticism was assessed with the Maudsley Personality Inventory, and psychiatric morbidity was evaluated with both the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Single photon emission computed tomography with [(123)I]iodo-benzamide was used to measure striatal dopamine D(2) receptor density. HAM-D scores and psychiatric morbidity in high-neuroticism individuals were higher than in low-neuroticism individuals. Moreover, striatal dopamine D(2) receptor densities were significantly correlated with the neuroticism score of the 41 subjects. The central dopaminergic system may play an important role in the neurobiological characteristics of neuroticism.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

On the relation between neuroticism, self-esteem, and depression: results from the National Comorbidity Survey.

There is evidence that neuroticism and self-esteem, two commonly used personality constructs, are associated with depressive illness. Previous studies on this issue have produced mixed results. Some studies found that neuroticism was a stronger predictor of risk for major depression than was self-esteem. The aim of the current report is to analyze the relationship between neuroticism, self-esteem, and depressive disorders in representative community sample. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) were reanalyzed. The diagnostic data were coded using the criteria of DSM-III-R based on a modified version of the Diagnostic Interview. Self-esteem was assessed by an empirically abbreviated form of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Neuroticism was measured using the 10-item scale from the Transparent Bipolar Inventory (TBI). Logistic regression analysis and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis were used to determine the associations between neuroticism, self-esteem, sociodemographic variables, and past-year depression disorders. Neuroticism and self-esteem were strongly associated with past-year depression disorders. Significant interactions between the two personality constructs and sociodemographic variables were observed. The results suggest that neuroticism and self-esteem should be evaluated simultaneously when analyzing depression disorders. The assessment of both personality constructs may contribute to further understanding of personality-depression correlation. Such knowledge might prove valuable in designing early interventions and treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Health related psychosocial correlates of neuroticism: a study of adult male twins in Finland.

Some health related psychosocial correlates of the Eysenck neuroticism scale were examined in a questionnaire study of 1501 monozygotic (MZ) and 3455 dizygotic (DZ) male twin pairs representing the adult male twin population in Finland. In analyses of the individuals, 34% of the variance in neuroticism was associated to: psychological variables (stress of daily activities, life satisfaction, quality of sleep, and extroversion - the explanatory rate of this variable set was 30%), psychotropic drugs (5%), alcohol use (4%), and smoking (2%). Neuroticism was also associated to social, life change, and medical variables. In pairwise analyses, the heritability estimate (h2) was 0.54 for pairs living together and 0.39 for pairs living apart. It seems that heritability estimates are confounded by the closer intrapair relationship between members of MZ than DZ pairs. In pairwise analyses, 23% of the intrapair difference of neuroticism in MZ pairs was associated to intrapair differences in the aforementioned variables. The following explanatory rates were found: psychological variables, 21%; psychotropic drugs, 2%; alcohol use, 2%; and smoking, 1%. Neuroticism of pairs discordant for background variables showed similar intrapair differences as between individuals in the following variables: service vs farming work, use of alcohol, use of antacids, hypertension, heavy physical work, quality of sleep, changes of workplace for negative reasons, smoking, and use of tranquillizers. It appears that in Finland environmental factors explain at least 61% of the variability in neuroticism, and that factors determining neuroticism are also associated to health related behavior such as smoking, use of alcohol and psychotropic drugs.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Interaction between the serotonin transporter gene and neuroticism in cigarette smoking behavior.

Cigarette smoking behavior is influenced by both personality traits and inherited factors. Previous research showed that neuroticism-a broad personality domain that includes anxiety, depression, impulsiveness and vulnerability-increases the risk of being a smoker, primarily because of difficulty in quitting. Neuroticism has also been associated with the 5-HTTLPR, a functional polymorphism in the promoter for the serotonin transporter gene. We used population and family-based methods to analyze the joint effects of the 5-HTTLPR and neuroticism on smoking behavior in a population of 759 never, current, and former smokers, all members of sib-pairs. Our main finding is that smoking behavior is influenced by an interaction between neuroticism and 5-HTTLPR genotype. Specifically, neuroticism was positively correlated with current smoking and negatively associated with smoking cessation in individuals and siblings with poorly transcribed 5-HTTLPR-S genotypes, but not in those with the more highly expressed 5-HTTLPR-L genotype. Individuals with both a 5-HTTLPR-S genotype and a high level of neuroticism had the greatest difficulty in quitting smoking. These data, if replicated, suggest that smoking behavior is more strongly influenced by the combination of the serotonin transporter gene and neuroticism than by either factor alone, and that personality scores and 5-HTTLPR genotype may predict the clinical efficacy of certain smoking cessation drugs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Neuroticism in relation to recovery and persisting pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Persisting pain is seen in 20%-30% of patients after cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallbladder stones. The only preoperative factor that seems predictive is psychic vulnerability or neuroticism. Findings with regard to the influence of psychologic factors on recovery are contradictory, too. The aim of the present study was to examine a possible relationship between neuroticism and recovery and the outcome of operation. METHODS: Ninety-four patients who had had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed were tested psychologically with a Danish psychic vulnerability scale and with the Eysenck Neuroticism Scale before and 1 year after operation. The course of recovery was registered 1 month after operation, and outcome with regard to persisting pain 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: No correlations were found between neuroticism scores and postoperative hospital stay or time to regain work/normal activities (P > 0.05). Persisting pain was found in 18% of the patients 1 year after operation. Although the patients with persisting pain had higher neuroticism scores preoperatively, the difference from the patients with successful outcome of the operation first became statistically significant 1 year postoperatively (P < 0.01-0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results do not indicate that neuroticism influences the short recovery process after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. With regard to persisting pain, the higher neuroticism scores in these patients 1 year after the operation could be the consequence of the pain rather than aetiologic factors.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Major depression and allergy: does neuroticism explain the relationship?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between major depression, neuroticism, and self-reported allergy among adults in the community. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States Survey, a nationally representative sample of 3,032 adults age 25 to 74. ANOVA and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between depression and allergy and the role of neuroticism in these relationships. These links were also examined by gender. RESULTS: Among adults in the community, major depression was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of allergy (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.98). Higher levels of neuroticism were also significantly associated with increased likelihood of allergy (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.04-1.43). Among women, major depression was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of allergy (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.15-2.41), and this relationship persisted after adjusting for demographic characteristics and neuroticism. Among men, there was no significant relationship between allergy and depression, yet neuroticism was related to allergy (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.42-1.82), which persisted after adjustment for depression. CONCLUSION: These data are consistent with results of previous studies showing an association between major depression and allergy among adults and extend these data by providing preliminary evidence suggesting that this association is specific to women and independent of the effects of neuroticism among women. In addition, the data provide preliminary evidence that neuroticism may be related to allergy among men, though no link between depression and allergy was found among men. Future research with prospective, longitudinal studies is needed next to understand the possible biological underpinnings of these associations.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Neuroticism mediates the association of the serotonin transporter gene with lifetime major depression.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An association between a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5HTT-LPR) and the personality trait of neuroticism has been reported. We sought to address the question of whether trait neuroticism mediates the putative association between this polymorphism and lifetime major depression in adults drawn from the general population. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-one participants completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and an adapted version of the depression section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R diagnosis, modified for implementation by a self-report questionnaire. A path method was applied to assess the mediator effect of neuroticism on the association between 5HTT-LPR genotype and lifetime major depression. RESULTS: 5HTT-LPR genotype was significantly associated with both neuroticism (p=0.02) and lifetime major depression (p=0.04), and neuroticism with lifetime major depression (p<0.001). Neuroticism accounted for 42.3% of the effect of 5HTT-LPR genotype on lifetime major depression, indicating possible mediation (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that neuroticism mediates the association between 5HTT-LPR genotype and lifetime major depression, consistent with models of the aetiology of depression which suggest that anxiety-related personality traits represent a substantial risk factor for affective disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The interplay and etiological continuity of neuroticism, difficulties, and life events in the etiology of major and subsyndromal, first and recurrent depressive episodes in later life.

OBJECTIVE: Stressful life events, long-term difficulties, and high neuroticism are established risk factors for depression. Less is known about their role in late-life depression, how they modify or mediate one another's effects, and whether this differs between major and subsyndromal, first and recurrent episodes. METHOD: The authors used a prospective case-control design nested in a community survey of elderly subjects that included a measure of neuroticism. They compared 83 survey participants who subsequently developed a depressive episode with 83 randomly selected comparison participants. The authors determined dates of onset, history, and severity of episodes and dates of occurrence and severity of stressful life events and difficulties. RESULTS: Stressful life events did not mediate the effects of high neuroticism and difficulties at onset, possibly because of the uncontrollable nature of common stressful life events in later life. Without both high neuroticism and difficulties, stressful life events did not increase risk. High neuroticism and difficulties increased risk, even without a stressful life event. In the presence of high neuroticism and/or difficulties, the depressogenic effect of stressful life events was substantial, suggesting effect modification. The authors found no evidence to suggest etiological discontinuity between major and subsyndromal episodes. First and recurrent episodes showed a discontinuous pattern of associations. Severe stressful life events had weaker associations, but high neuroticism and mild stressful life events had stronger associations with recurrent than with first episodes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the usefulness of a dynamic stress-vulnerability model for understanding late-life depression. Evidence was found suggesting etiological discontinuity between first and recurrent but not between major and subsyndromal episodes.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

The interrelationship of neuroticism, sex, and stressful life events in the prediction of episodes of major depression.

OBJECTIVE: Three potent risk factors for major depression are female sex, the personality trait of neuroticism, and adversity resulting from exposure to stressful life events. Little is known about how they interrelate in the etiology of depressive illness. METHOD: In over 7,500 individual twins from a population-based sample, the authors used a Cox proportional hazard model to predict onsets of episodes of DSM-III-R major depression in the year before the latest interviews on the basis of previously assessed neuroticism, sex, and adversity during the past year; adversity was operationalized as the long-term contextual threat scored from 15 life event categories. RESULTS: In the best-fit Cox model for prediction of depressive onsets, neuroticism, female sex, and greater adversity all strongly increased risk for major depression. An interaction was seen between neuroticism and adversity such that individuals with high neuroticism were at greater overall risk for major depression and were more sensitive to the depressogenic effects of adversity. An interaction was also seen between adversity and sex, as the excess risk for major depression in women was confined to individuals with low stress exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial adversity interacts both with neuroticism and with sex in the etiology of major depression. The impact of neuroticism on illness risk is greater at high than at low levels of adversity, while the effect of sex on probability of onset is the opposite--greater at low than at high levels of stress. Complete etiologic models for major depression should incorporate interactions between risk factor classes.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

The role of neuroticism in the association between performance-based and self-reported measures of mobility.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the role of neuroticism in older individuals' self-reports of mobility. The authors hypothesized that neuroticism would modify the association between performance-based and self-reported measures of mobility. METHOD: Using a stratified sample of 459 community-dwelling elders, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to assess the effects of physical performance and neuroticism in predicting self-reported mobility. RESULTS: Composite measures of lower body performance and self-reported mobility had a moderate correlation. In the regression model of self-reported mobility, neuroticism had both a direct effect and an interaction effect with physical performance. DISCUSSION: Given a certain level of physical performance, individuals who scored high on neuroticism were more likely to report disability. Also, the combination of poor performance and high neuroticism increased self-reported disability. The findings suggest that neuroticism may play an important role in subjective perception and should be considered in the interpretation of data based on self-reports.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2001

Relationship between the NEO personality inventory revised neuroticism scale and prospectively reported negative affect across the menstrual cycle.

Previous research has suggested a possible link between neuroticism and premenstrual symptom changes. Results, however, are difficult to interpret given methodological problems such as retrospective reporting of premenstrual symptoms, and failure to control for the generalized influence of neuroticism on psychosomatic symptomatology. The present study aimed to address these issues. One hundred and nine women from the general population completed the modified Menstrual Distress Questionnaire daily for 70 days. Neuroticism was assessed using the NEO Personality Inventory Revised. Neuroticism accounted for a significant amount of variation in premenstrual negative affect both before and after controlling for baseline (follicular) symptom levels. The relationship between neuroticism and premenstrual negative affect could not be linked to any particular facet of neuroticism (e.g. anxiety, depression). Oral contraceptive (OC) users had significantly higher levels of neuroticism than the non-oral contraceptive (NOC) group. A significant interaction between OC use and menstrual cycle phase was also noted, with a trend toward OC users experiencing less premenstrual, but more menstrual, negative affect compared with the NOC group. The results are discussed in terms of the contribution of personality factors to the etiology of premenstrual change, and the utility of cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Personality from a controlled processing perspective: an fMRI study of neuroticism, extraversion, and self-consciousness.

Although neuroticism has been central to most theories of personality, self-reported neuroticism has had limited success in predicting expected behavioral outcomes. The reason for this may be due, in part, to the imprecision of self-reports. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between neural correlates of control systems and neuroticism, extraversion, and self-consciousness. In response to an oddball task, neuroticism was associated with increased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) reactivity, typically associated with discrepancy detection, whereas extraversion and self-consciousness were associated with lateral and medial frontoparietal networks, respectively, typically associated with task-focused (lateral) or self-focused (medial) controlled processes. We also examined whether the neural measure of neuroticism would predict a relevant behavioral outcome better than self-reports would. Interoceptive accuracy, an outcome associated with neuroticism, was better accounted for by dACC reactivity (r2 = .74) than by self-reported neuroticism (r2 = .16), suggesting that neural reactivities may provide a more direct measure of personality than self-reports do.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Neuroticism in the elderly. The utility of the shortened DPQ-scales].

This article reports on the relation between aging and personal adjustment. Current personality scales are not developed for older persons. Scales contain items which are not valid for an aging population and contain too many items for administration in older populations. As part of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) Neuroticism in older persons was measured with a shortened version of the Inadequacy (IN) and Social Inadequacy (SI) scales of the Dutch Personality Questionnaire (DPQ). The utility of these shortened scales was assessed based on internal consistency, inter-item correlations, test-retest reliability and factor analysis. The consistency of the personality dimension Neuroticism was assessed based on cohort-differences and a 6-year longitudinal comparison. The research-population contained 2118 respondents at baseline, aged between 55 and 85 years, 49% were male and they were not living in an institution. The shortened scales appeared to be reliable and valid instruments to measure Neuroticism in the elderly. The gaining of time due to the administration of the shortened scales enlarges the feasibility of the scales for measuring Neuroticism in older persons. Results showed no significant age-difference on the IN-scale, but revealed a significant difference on the SI-scale (p < .01). The 65+ elderly (65-74 and 75-85) have higher scores on Social Inadequacy than the youngest elderly (55-64). Longitudinal analyses showed an interaction between age at baseline and the stability and change of the level of Neuroticism. On both scales the youngest age-group showed a significant decline in mean level of Neuroticism (p < .01). The mean level of Social Inadequacy in the oldest age-group showed an increase during the 6-year follow-up period (p < .05). However, the differences were very small. Future research is needed to assess the effect of related variables on Neuroticism in older persons.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Neuroticism and physical disorders among adults in the community: results from the National Comorbidity Survey.

To examine the association between neuroticism and physical disorders among adults in the United States, data were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey (n = 5,877). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between neuroticism and physical disorders among adults in the community, adjusting for differences in demographic characteristics and comorbid mental disorders.Results indicated that neuroticism was associated with significantly elevated rates of a wide range of physical disorders, with the exception of stroke. After adjusting for differences in demographic characteristics and comorbid mental disorders, neuroticism was associated with increased odds of arthritis (OR = 1.5), diabetes (OR = 3.33), kidney/liver disease (OR = 2.56), stomach/gallbladder problems (OR = 2.27), and ulcer (OR = 3.23). Based on those findings, neuroticism appears to be a general predictor of a range of physical health problems among adults in the United States. Much of this association appears to be partially mediated by comorbid mental disorders, yet the association between neuroticism and arthritis, diabetes, kidney/liver disease, stomach problems, and ulcer persist even after adjusting for differences in demographic characteristics and comorbid mental disorders. Future studies that can examine the nature and mechanism of these linkages across the lifespan are needed next.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Serotonin transporter and GABAA alpha 6 receptor variants are associated with neuroticism.

BACKGROUND: A tendency to experience negative affect, as measured by the neuroticism component of the Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness Personality Inventory (NEO-PI), is a trait marker for major depression. Epidemiologic studies indicate a strong genetic component, but to date few specific genetic variants have been definitively implicated. A serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been extensively studied in neuroticism and several psychiatric disorders, with inconclusive results. A GABA(A) receptor alpha6 subunit variant (Pro385Ser) has been associated with alcohol-related traits but has not been studied in neuroticism or depression. METHODS: A total of 384 subjects who completed the NEO-PI were genotyped at 5-HTTLPR and Pro385Ser. Associations between polymorphisms and both alcohol use and personality domains were tested. RESULTS: The 5-HTTLPR short allele (p =.008) and Pro385Ser Pro allele (p =.003) are associated with higher neuroticism scores. The 5-HTTLPR long allele (p =.006), but not Pro385Ser, is also associated with an increased presence of alcohol use. In addition, there is a nonsignificant suggestion of an interaction: the effect of 5-HTTLPR on neuroticism might be dependent on the Pro385Ser genotype. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support a role for the serotonin transporter and GABA(A) alpha6 subunit in depression-related traits.

Adult↗