title: Relationship of type 1 cannabinoid receptor availability in the human brain to novelty-seeking temperament.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain neurochemistry can partially account for personality traits as a variance of normal human behavior, as has been demonstrated for monoamine neurotransmission. Positron emission tomography using fluorine 18-labeled MK-9470 now enables quantification of type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R) in the brain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether there is a relationship between human temperament traits and regional cerebral CB1R availability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven [(18)F]MK-9470 baseline scanning sessions were performed and correlated with the temperament dimensions and subdimensions of the 240-item Cloninger Temperament and Character Inventory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic brain imaging center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven nonsmoking, healthy volunteers (paid). Main Outcome Measure Voxel-based correlation of temperament variables of the inventory with regional CB1R availability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Novelty seeking was inversely correlated with global CB1R availability (r = -0.33, P = .02), with the most significant correlation in the left amygdala (r = -0.41, P = .005). In particular, the subdimension extravagance showed a highly significant inverse correlation to global CB1R availability (r = -0.53, P <.001), most pronounced in the amygdala, anterior cingulate, parietal cortex, and precuneus. Also, disorderliness was inversely correlated with global CB1R availability (r = -0.31, P = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low baseline cerebral CB1R availability is related to a high novelty-seeking personality, in particular to extravagance, most pronounced in the amygdala. Further investigation of the functional role of the CB1R is warranted in pathological behavior known to be strongly related to novelty seeking, such as addiction and eating disorders.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. koen.vanlaere@uzleuven.be
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Laere
authors.forename: Karolien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goffin
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bormans
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casteels
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mortelmans
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Hoon
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grachev
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vandenbulcke
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pieters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000679:Amygdala / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010555:Personality Inventory; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011725:Pyridines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013694:Temperament / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; C528731:MK-9470; D011725:Pyridines; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1