Dopamine transporter density and novelty seeking among alcoholics.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate a putative association between the personality trait of novelty seeking (NS) and dopaminergic neuronal activity in the human brain.


METHODS
We studied the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) density of 30 (18 early and 12 late-onset) alcoholics and 26 healthy controls with beta-CIT ([123I]-2-beta-carbomethoxy-3-beta-(4-iodophenyl)-tropane) and SPET (Single Photon Emission Tomography); personality traits were assessed with the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).


RESULTS
DAT density correlated significantly with both NS (r = 0.46, p = 0.011) and age (r = -0.50, p = 0.005) in the alcoholics, generally. NS scores were higher in alcoholics with antisocial personality disorder (p = 0.004) than among other alcoholics.


CONCLUSIONS
Among alcoholics, NS correlated positively with DAT density, which is in line with Cloninger's theory concerning personality and character.
Laine
T P
TP
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Finland. plaine@sun3.oulu.fi
Ahonen
A
A
Räsänen
P
P
Tiihonen
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493214:SLC6A3 protein, human