title: Plasma oxytocin and personality traits in psychiatric outpatients.
abstract: The oxytocin system is regarded as being of relevance for social interaction. In spite of this, very few studies have investigated the relationship between oxytocin and personality traits in clinical psychiatric populations. We assessed the relationship between personality traits and plasma oxytocin levels in a population of 101 medication-free psychiatric outpatients (men = 37, women = 64). We used the Karolinska Scale of Personality (KSP) and diagnostic and symptomatic testing. Plasma oxytocin levels were analysed with a specific radioimmunoassay at inclusion and after one month for testing of stability. Plasma oxytocin levels were stable over time and did not differ between patients with or without personality disorders, nor were they related to severity of depressive or anxiety symptoms. The KSP factors Impulsiveness and Negative Emotionality were significant independent predictors of plasma oxytocin. A subscale analysis of these personality factors showed significant positive correlations between baseline plasma oxytocin and the KSP subscales monotony avoidance and psychic anxiety. The significant association between the KSP factor Impulsiveness and oxytocin levels observed at baseline was observed also one month later in men. These findings suggest that personality traits such as Impulsiveness and Negative emotionality which are linked to social functioning in several psychiatric disorders seem to be associated with endogenous plasma oxytocin levels. These variations in oxytocin levels might have an impact on social sensitivity or social motivation with possible gender differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bendix
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agriculture, Skara, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uvnäs-Moberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Petter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gustavsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Pär
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svanborg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Åsberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience/Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: jussi.jokinen@ki.se.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jokinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Anxiety; Extraversion; Mood disorder; Oxytocin; Personality disorder; Personality traits