Regional cerebral brain metabolism correlates of neuroticism and extraversion.
Factor-analytic approaches to human personality have consistently identified several core personality traits, such as Extraversion/Introversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Consciousness, and Openness. There is an increasing recognition that certain personality traits may render individuals vulnerable to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorders and depression. Our purpose in this study was to explore correlates between the personality dimensions neuroticism and extraversion as assessed by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and resting regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRglu) in healthy control subjects. Based on the anxiety and depression literatures, we predicted correlations with a network of brain structures, including ventral and medial prefrontal cortex (encompassing anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex), insular cortex, anterior temporal pole, ventral striatum, and the amygdala. Twenty healthy women completed an (18F)FDG (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose) positron emission tomography (PET) scan at rest and the NEO-FFI inventory. We investigated correlations between scores on NEO-FFI Neuroticism and Extraversion and rCMRglu using statistical parametric mapping (SPM99). Within a priori search territories, we found significant negative correlations between Neuroticism and rCMRglu in the insular cortex and positive correlations between Extraversion and rCMRglu in the orbitofrontal cortex. No significant correlations were found involving anterior cingulate, amygdala, or ventral striatum. Neuroticism and Extraversion are associated with activity in insular cortex and orbitofrontal cortex, respectively.
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA. tdeckersbach@partners.org
Thilo
T
Deckersbach
Karen K
KK
Miller
Anne
A
Klibanski
Alan
A
Fischman
Darin D
DD
Dougherty
Mark A
MA
Blais
David B
DB
Herzog
Scott L
SL
Rauch
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D001786:Blood Glucose; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18