Affective temperaments across the bipolar-unipolar spectrum: examination of the TEMPS-A in 927 patients and controls.
OBJECTIVE
There is currently a great deal of interest in the use of affective temperaments as possible intermediate phenotypes for bipolar disorder. However, much of the literature in this area is conflicting. Our aims were to test the hypothesis of a gradient in affective temperament scores, as measured by the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS-A), from bipolar disorder type I (BP-I), through bipolar disorder type II (BP-II), recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD-R), and a control group (CG) in the largest sample to date of 927 subjects.


METHODS
Non parametric tests were used to compare TEMPS-A scores between diagnostic groups and multinomial logistic regression was used to test the association between TEMPS-A scores and diagnosis while controlling for current mood state, age and gender.


RESULTS
Although the BP-II group scored higher than the BP-I and MDD-R groups on several TEMPS-A subscales, these differences were not significant when confounding variables were controlled for. The dysthymic subscale differentiated between affected and controls and the anxious subscale differentiated the MDD-R group from controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The cross-sectional design did not allow us to evaluate potential longitudinal changes of temperament scores, which were assessed only with a self-report questionnaire.


CONCLUSIONS
We failed to find evidence of a gradient in affective temperament scores. Both unipolar and bipolar patients reported high dysthymic scores relative to controls, perhaps supporting a unitary view of depression across the bipolar-unipolar spectrum. Taking account of potential confounders will be important in future studies which seek to use affective temperaments as intermediate phenotypes in genetic research.
Di Florio
Arianna
A
MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK. adiflorio@cardiff.ac.uk
Hamshere
Marian
M
Forty
Liz
L
Green
Elaine K
EK
Grozeva
Detelina
D
Jones
Ian
I
Caesar
Sian
S
Fraser
Christine
C
Gordon-Smith
Katherine
K
Jones
Lisa
L
Craddock
Nick
N
Smith
Daniel J
DJ
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012008:Recurrence; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D013694:Temperament; D014481:United States