Towards a genetically validated new affective temperament scale: a delineation of the temperament phenotype of 5-HTTLPR using the TEMPS-A.
BACKGROUND
Although it has been described that affective temperaments are associated with the 5-HTTLPR, less attention was paid to the association between this polymorphism and subscales and items related to each affective temperament. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of affective temperament subscales and individual items with the s allele of the 5-HTTLPR.


METHODS
138 psychiatrically healthy women completed the TEMPS-A questionnaire and were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR. Scores of subjects on the temperament scales, subscales and items in the three genotype and the two phenotype groups were compared using ANOVA. We selected items with significantly different mean scores between the three genotype groups and the two phenotype groups separately and performed item analysis.


RESULTS
Subjects in the different 5-HTTLPR genotype and phenotype groups have significantly different score on scales measuring depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments, and several subscales composing these temperamental scales. Subjects in the three genotype groups scored significantly different on 11 items, 8 of these remained in a derived genotype scale after item analysis. Subjects in the two phenotype groups had significantly different scores on 12 items, 9 of them were retained in a derived phenotype scale after item analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our sample was relatively small and included only women.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data provide support for the association of affective temperaments with the s allele. Although the cyclothymic temperament shows the strongest association, all temperaments within the depressive superfactor have a similar share in this association. The newly derived 5-HTTLPR Phenotype Scale shows strong association with 5-HTTLPR genotype and phenotype, therefore this scale should be further investigated in relation to psychiatric disorders, as well as psychological traits and temperaments.
Gonda
X
X
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, Kutvolgyi Clinical Centre,1089 Budapest Nagyvarad ter 4, Hungary. kendermagos@yahoo.com
Fountoulakis
K N
KN
Rihmer
Z
Z
Lazary
J
J
Laszik
A
A
Akiskal
K K
KK
Akiskal
H S
HS
Bagdy
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011594:Psychometrics; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament
C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins