title: Associations between the antioxidant network and emotional intelligence: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emotional intelligence (EI) can be broadly defined as the ability to cope with environmental demands. In the scientific research, however, there is not a univocal precise definition of EI and recent articles have underlined the necessity to explore its biological basis to advance understanding of the construct. The aim of study was to investigate if the antioxidant network may be associated with typical-performance or trait EI.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 50 women (age, M = 25.10, SD = 3.87). Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Reductase (GR), and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activities were evaluated on proteins extracted from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. Participants completed the Italian version of the EQ-i (Bar-On, 1997) as a measure of trait EI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed positive and significant correlations between some biological variables and EQ-i scores, and a significant predictive effect of CAT activity when controlling for related biological variables, age, and smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary study suggests that the antioxidant network may constitute some of trait EI's biological basis. In particular, CAT and the SOD/CAT ratio could be two biological variables involved in some specific components of EI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzuto
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tatangelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tommasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Picconi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balsamo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Liborio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stuppia
authors.affiliation: London Psychometric Laboratory, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexander B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Siegling
authors.affiliation: London Psychometric Laboratory, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gökçen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grilli
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Aristide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saggino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis*; D056348:Emotional Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase