title: A latent profile analysis of schizotypy, temperament and character in a nonclinical population: association with neurocognition.
abstract: Schizotypy is conceptualized as a latent personality construct that confers liability for schizophrenia, while it is also suggested that schizotypy can relate to certain favorable aspects. Investigating individual-level interactions between schizotypy and broader personality characteristics might give a clue to this question. We aimed to identify homogeneous classes of individuals based on schizotypy, temperament and character and to validate this classification using comprehensive neurocognitive data. We studied 455 nonclinical adults using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Temperament and Character Inventory, and an array of neuropsychological tests. A latent profile analysis (LPA) of schizotypy, temperament and character was conducted, and cognitive performance was compared as a function of latent class membership. LPA provided a 3-class solution. Of the sample, 15% was classified into a "high-positive-schizotypy/adaptive" group characterized by high cognitive-perceptual but low interpersonal schizotypy, together with low harm avoidance and high self-directedness, cooperativeness and self-transcendence; 18% was classified into a "high-schizotypy/maladaptive" group characterized by overall high schizotypy, together with high harm avoidance and low self-directedness and cooperativeness; and 67% was classified into a "low-schizotypy/adaptive" group characterized by overall low schizotypy, together with intermediate-to-low harm avoidance, high self-directedness and intermediate-to-high cooperativeness. Overall cognitive performance of the high-positive-schizotypy/adaptive group was comparable to that of the low-schizotypy/adaptive group and superior to that of the high-schizotypy/maladaptive group. The present LPA clearly defines a group of individuals who have adaptive personality traits and intact neuropsychological functions despite high positive schizotypy, suggesting that there may be complex, nonlinear relationships between schizotypal traits and psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan. Electronic address: hori@ncnp.go.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teraishi
authors.forename: Daimei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sasayama
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunugi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Character; Latent profile analysis; Neurocognition; Personality; Schizotypy; Temperament