title: Variation of human amygdala response during threatening stimuli as a function of 5'HTTLPR genotype and personality style.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the brain, processing of fearful stimuli engages the amygdala, and the variability of its activity is associated with genetic factors as well as with emotional salience. The objective of this study was to explore the relevance of personality style for variability of amygdala response.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied two groups (n=14 in each group) of healthy subjects categorized by contrasting cognitive styles with which they attribute salience to fearful stimuli: so-called phobic prone subjects who exaggerate potential environmental threat versus so-called eating disorders prone subjects who tend to be much less centered around fear. The two groups underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3T during performance of a perceptual task of threatening stimuli and they were also matched for the genotype of the 5' variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in the serotonin transporter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fMRI results indicated that phobic prone subjects selectively recruit the amygdala to a larger extent than eating disorders prone subjects. Activity in the amygdala was also independently predicted by personality style and genotype of the serotonin transporter. Moreover, brain activity during a working memory task did not differentiate the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study suggest that aspects of personality style are rooted in biological responses of the fear circuitry associated with processing of environmental information.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Neuroscience Group, Section on Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatric and Neurological Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. bertolia@psichiat.uniba.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertolino
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arciero
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: Mariapia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Candia
authors.forename: Viridiana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mazzola
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blasi
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caforio
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hariri
authors.forename: Bhaskar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kolachana
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardini
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scarabino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D010100:Oxygen