Influence of androgen receptor repeat polymorphisms on personality traits in men.
BACKGROUND
Testosterone has been attributed importance for various aspects of behaviour. The aim of our study was to investigate the potential influence of 2 functional polymorphisms in the amino terminal of the androgen receptor on personality traits in men.


METHODS
We assessed and genotyped 141 men born in 1944 recruited from the general population. We used 2 different instruments: the Karolinska Scales of Personality and the Temperament and Character Inventory. For replication, we similarly assessed 63 men recruited from a forensic psychiatry study group.


RESULTS
In the population-recruited sample, the lengths of the androgen receptor repeats were associated with neuroticism, extraversion and self-transcendence. The association with extraversion was replicated in the independent sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Our 2 samples differed in size; sample 1 was of moderate size and sample 2 was small. In addition, the homogeneity of sample 1 probably enhanced our ability to detect significant associations between genotype and phenotype.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the repeat polymorphisms in the androgen receptor gene may influence personality traits in men.
Westberg
Lars
L
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, PO Box 431, SE 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden. lars.westberg@pharm.gu.se
Henningsson
Susanne
S
Landén
Mikael
M
Annerbrink
Kristina
K
Melke
Jonas
J
Nilsson
Staffan
S
Rosmond
Roland
R
Holm
Göran
G
Anckarsäter
Henrik
H
Eriksson
Elias
E
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019680:Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats
D011944:Receptors, Androgen