title: Relationship between neuroticism personality trait and serotonin transporter binding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Personality trait is thought to be one of the important factors for vulnerability to depression. The relation between serotonin transporter (5-HTT) polymorphism and anxiety-related personality has been investigated in genetic research. In this study, we investigated the relation between in vivo regional 5-HTT binding in the brain and personality inventory measures in normal male volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one healthy male volunteers underwent positron emission tomography scans with (11)C-labeled 3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethyl-phenylsulfanyl) benzonitrile ([(11)C]DASB) to measure 5-HTT and completed revised NEO Personality Inventory. Correlation of [(11)C]DASB binding potentials (BP) with personality inventory measures was calculated using region-of-interest analysis and statistical parametric mapping based on the BP images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neuroticism was positively correlated with 5-HTT binding in the thalamus (p = .004). No significant correlation was observed in any other brain region. Within the neuroticism dimension, the facet of depression was positively correlated with 5-HTT binding in the thalamus (p = .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjects with higher thalamic 5-HTT binding are more likely to express higher levels of neuroticism and depressive feeling. Serotonin transporter binding in the thalamus might be a marker of vulnerability to depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Hidehiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suhara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001596:Benzylamines; D015415:Biomarkers; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; C420885:N,N-dimethyl-2-(2-amino-4-cyanophenylthio)benzylamine; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins