title: Neuroticism and impulsivity: their hierarchical organization in the personality characterization of drug-dependent patients from a decision tree learning perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neuroticism and impulsivity are the personality variables most consistently associated with drug-dependent patients. To date, no data mining procedures have been applied to explore the differential role of personality variables in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The personality profile of 336 drug-dependent patients was compared with that of a sample of community participants in the context of a decision tree learning approach using the Alternative Five Factor Model. The resulting discriminant model was cross-validated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neuroticism and impulsivity were the most relevant variables in the resulting model, but their association appeared to be hierarchically organized. In the personality characterization of these patients, neuroticism became the main discriminant dimension, whereas impulsivity played a differential role, explained by means of an interaction effect. Decision tree learning models appear to be a heuristic theoretical and empirical approximation to the study of relevant variables, such as personality traits, in drug-dependency research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: svalero@vhebron.net.
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Outpatient Drug Clinic (CAS) Vall Hebron, Hospital Vall d'Hebron-Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Constanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daigre
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Outpatient Drug Clinic (CAS) Vall Hebron, Hospital Vall d'Hebron-Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Cintas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Outpatient Drug Clinic (CAS) Vall Hebron, Hospital Vall d'Hebron-Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barral
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gomà-I-Freixanet
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Outpatient Drug Clinic (CAS) Vall Hebron, Hospital Vall d'Hebron-Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*