title: Evaluation of the temperament and character properties of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate temperament and character of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and to examine the association between these specific temperament and character properties and clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved 73 AS patients. Temperament properties of patients were evaluated using Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Association between clinical variables and specific temperament features were evaluated using correlation and regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty eight (65.8 %) of the study participants were men and the mean age was 42 ± 11.4 years. There was slight negative correlations between self directedness (S) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) scores (p = 0.01, r = - 0.30), and between the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and reward dependence (RD) scores (p = 0.03, r = - 0.26). Regression analysis showed that correlations between BASDAI and S, and between VAS and RD scores were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that the dimensions temperament and character are related to disease activation, and disease course is more severe in patients who have low scores in these TCI dimensions. Therefore, we suggest that evaluating temperament and character properties of AS patients will help clinicians to predict treatment compliance and motivation of patients during disease course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical School, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, 17110, Canakkale, Turkey, ferhatgokmen06@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gokmen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Altinbas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Savas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gökmen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reşorlu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karaca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002605:Character; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D013694:Temperament