The 5HTTLPR polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene is associated with affective temperaments as measured by TEMPS-A

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence supports the notion of a continuum between affective temperaments and major mood disorders, suggesting that these temperament types represent the subclinical manifestations of affective disorders and often present an increased vulnerability for these diseases. METHODS: The Hungarian rendition of the full-scale 110-item version of the TEMPS-A questionnaire and 5HTTLPR genotype was investigated in a sample of 139 unrelated Caucasian females with no current or lifetime Axis I psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: A significant association was found between the s allele and the TEMPS scores of the depressive, anxious, irritable, and particularly the cyclothymic temperaments; no such association emerged with respect to the hyperthymic temperament. LIMITATION: The database is entirely female. Given that the hyperthymic type predominates in males, our results could have been different if men were included in our sample. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are in good agreement with earlier studies reporting a strong association between the s allele of the 5HTTLPR and major as well as subthreshold forms of depression, and extend this association to the normative temperament level. Indeed, these temperaments might best be regarded as proximate behavioural endophenotypes. Our data raise the provocative possibility that the genetic potential for mood episodes lies in these temperaments. Further studies are needed to delineate the role of gender in the associations under consideration, as well as to investigate the genetic background of the hyperthymia-mania part of the affective spectrum. Given that affective temperaments are widely distributed in the general population, the strategy employed by us is of potential public health significance in terms of detecting individuals in the community at risk for affective spectrum disorders.     

Psychometric evaluation of post-traumatic stress disorder: The multidimensional personality questionnaire as an adjunct to the MMPI

Two groups of Vietnam veterans-Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, n = 17) and non-PTSD (n = 80) — were developed from a sample of treatment-seeking alcohol abusers. The subjects completed a Combat Experiences Questionnaire, a PTSD Symptom Scale, the MMPI, and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). The MPQ proved to be a useful adjunct to the MMPI in describing the major manifestations of PTSD among alcohol-abusing veterans.     

TEMPS-A (Rome): psychometric validation of affective temperaments in clinically well subjects in mid- and south Italy

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to study the psychometrics and factor structure replicability of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) in its Italian (Rome) Version. The questionnaire is a self-report 110-item measure that postulates five affective temperaments-the depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, hyperthymic, and anxious-which embody both strengths and liabilities along affective reactivity. In Italian, the TEMPS has previously been validated in its original 32-item version, the TEMPS-I (Pisa), one which did not yet include an anxious subscale. METHODS: The present sample consisted of 948 nonclinical subjects (27.39 years+/-8.22 S.D.). There were 476 men (50.2%: 28.56 years+/-8.63 S.D.) and 472 women (49.8%: 26.21 years+/-7.61 S.D.). Reliability and validity were assessed by standard psychometric tests. RESULTS: Principal Components Analysis with Varimax rotation resulted in a 3-factor solution: the first with highest explained variance (8.84%) represents Dysthymic, Cyclothymic and Anxious (Dys-Cyc-Anx) temperaments combined; the second identifies Irritable temperament (5.65% of variance); and the third Hyperthymic temperament (5.16% of variance). Cronbach Alpha coefficients for the three subscales were respectively .89, .77 and .74. The rates for the Dys-Cyc-Anx were 2.7%, and for the Irritable 3.1%. Despite the low rate of the Hyperthymic temperament (.2%), nonetheless 16% were between 1st and 2nd SD. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a positive loading combining Dys-Cyc-Anx with the Irritable; the Hyperthymic loaded negatively on this factor. In terms of dominant temperaments, based on z-scores, 2.7% were dysthymic, 1.7% cyclothymic, .7% hyperthymic, 3.5% irritable and 3% anxious. LIMITATION: Although developed for self-rated use, the Italian authors nonetheless administered the TEMPS-A in an interview format. It is uncertain in what ways this procedure could have influenced our results, if any. Another limitation is that we did not assess test-retest reliability. CONCLUSIONS: These data identify at least 3-factors, Dys-Cyc-Anx and Irritable (which are correlated), and Hyperthymic, which is uncorrelated with the others. Though our data are reminiscent of the neuroticism-extraversion distinction, importantly traits are operationalized in affective terms. Beyond the well-known relationship between the Dysthymic and Cyclothymic subscales and that between the Dysthymic and Anxious, the present data reveal a strong relationship between the Cyclothymic and Anxious as well, which is of great relevance for bipolar II. It is also provocative that much of hyperthymia (16%) in the +SD is between the 1st and 2nd SD, thereby "normalizing" this temperament in Italy, as previously reported by TEMPS-I (Pisa) from Northern Italy (and TEMPS-A from Lebanon and Argentina).     

The big five factors of personality and their relationship to personality disorders

Articles examining the relationship between the Big Five factors of personality and personality disorders (PDs) are reviewed. A survey of these studies indicates that there is some agreement regarding the relationship between the Big Five and PDs. However, the level of agreement varies and may be a function of instrumentation, the method of report, or how data have been analyzed. Future research should consider the role of peer-ratings, examine the relationship between PDs and the first-order factors of the Big Five, consider dimensions over and above the Big Five as predictors of PDs. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 53 : 587–593, 1997.     

The relationship of psychological well-being to distress and personality

BACKGROUND: The concept of psychological well-being has been neglected for a long time in scientific literature. Over the last decades, however, many psychometric instruments have been developed to measure it. The aim of the present study was to analyze the concept of psychological well-being and its relationship to distress and personality traits. It is clinically and empirically important to establish where the measures of well-being are located in relation to symptomatology indices and personality traits. METHODS: A sample of 450 subjects in the general population completed three self-rating scales for the assessment of symptomatology (Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire), psychological well-being (Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scales, PWB), and personality traits (Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire). The assessment was repeated after 1 month. Pearson's coefficient was used to analyze PWB test-retest reliability and correlations between well-being, distress and personality indicators. Exploratory factor analysis was performed for both assessments. RESULTS: Test-retest Pearson's coefficients were satisfactory for all six PWB scales. Exploratory factor analyses showed a 4- or 5-factor structure, where well-being, distress and personality remained separated. PWB scales were negatively and significantly correlated with all symptom scales, but only with one personality dimension, TPQ Harm Avoidance. Mean-level differences by gender showed that in general women significantly presented with lower levels of well-being (except in Positive Relations) and higher levels of distress and personality disturbances. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the relationship of well-being to distress and personality is complex. Psychological well-being could not be equated with the absence of symptomatology or with personality traits. PWB scales measure an attitude toward optimal functioning that is crucial for a comprehensive consideration of individuals in clinical settings.     

The theoretical underpinnings of affective temperaments: implications for evolutionary foundations of bipolar disorder and human nature

We sketch out putative evolutionary roles for affective temperaments within the theoretical framework of mood disorders conceptualized as extremes in an oligogenic model of inheritance, whereby the constituent traits in their dilute phenotypes confer adaptive advantages to individuals and/or their social group. Depressive traits, among other functions, would subserve sensitivity to the suffering of other members of the species, overlapping with those of the generalized anxious temperament, thereby enhancing the survival of not only kin but also other conspecifics. The pursuit of romantic opportunities in cyclothymia suggests that it may have evolved as a mechanism in reproductive success; cyclothymics' creative bent in poetry, music, painting, cooking or fashion design (among men, in particular) also appears useful for sexual seduction. Hyperthymic traits would lend distinct advantages in leadership, exploration, territoriality and mating. These are just some of the possibilities of the rich and complex temperamental traits subserving bipolarity within an evolutionary framework. We test selected aspects of these hypotheses with the use of correlations between the constituent traits of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego (TEMPS) and correlations between the TEMPS and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Such data support the counterbalancing protective influence of harm avoidance on the risk-taking behavior of cyclothymic individuals, in both men and women. Finally, we outline a hypothesis on the evolutionary function of anxious-depressive traits for women.     

The Mini Questionnaire of Personal Organization (MQPO): preliminary validation of a new post-rationalist personality questionnaire

Background: The Mini Questionnaire of Personal Organization (MQPO) has been constructed in order to comply with the inward/outward Personal Meaning Organization's (PMO) theory. According to Nardi's Adaptive Post‐Rationalist approach, predictable and invariable caregivers' behaviours allow inward focus and a physical sight of reciprocity; non‐predictable and variable caregivers' behaviours allow outward focus and a semantic sight of reciprocity. Methods: The 20 items of MQPO have been selected from 29 intermediate (n = 160) and 40 initial items (n = 204). Psychometric validation has been conducted (n = 296), including Internal Validity (Item‐Total Correlation; Factor Analysis), Internal Coherence by Factor Analysis, two analyses in Discriminant Validity (n = 132 and n = 80) and Reliability by Test‐Retest Analysis (n = 49). All subjects have been given their written informed consent before beginning the test. Results: The validation of the MQPO shows that the ultimate version is consistent with its post‐rationalist paradigm. Four different factors have been found, one for each PMO. Validity of the construct and the internal reliability index are satisfying (Alpha = 0.73). Moreover, the results obtained are constant (from r = 0.80 to r = 0.89). There is an adequate agreement between the MQPO scales and the clinical evaluations (72.5%), as well as an excellent agreement (80.0%) between the scores of the MQPO and those of the Personal Meaning Questionnaire. Conclusion: The MQPO is a tool able to study personality as a process by focusing on the relationships between personality and developmental process axes, which are the bases of the PMO's theory, according to the APR approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: ? Adaptive post‐rationalist approach. ? Cognitive psychotherapy. ? Easy and quick subjective screening of personality. ? Personal Meaning Organizations construction supported by Mini Questionnaire of Personal Organization. ? Workup in clinical practice and research.     

Comparative evaluation of the tridimensional spine position measured with a new instrument (Vertebral Metrics) and an optoelectronic system of stereophotogrammetry

We designed and built a non-invasive instrument, called Vertebral Metrics, to measure the x, y, and z positions of each spinous process of the spine on a standing position. In the present study, we perform a comparative evaluation of Vertebral Metrics, by comparing the results obtained from this instrument with those from a validated optoelectronic system of stereophotogrammetry, with 10 infrared cameras. The sample was composed of 11 women aged between 14 and 39 years. After marking the various points on the spinal column, from the first cervical vertebra to the first sacral vertebra, they were measured first with the new instrument (Vertebral Metrics) and then by means of the optoelectronics system. Afterwards, the results were subjected to a thorough comparison. The statistical comparison of the results was performed using an ANOVA model with three factors (Instrument, Subject, and Vertebra) for the intervertebral distance.     

Tridimensional personality questionnaire factors in major depressive disorder: relationship to anxiety disorder comorbidity and age of onset

OBJECTIVE: We used the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) to study the relationship between temperamental traits and comorbid anxiety disorders as well as age of onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) in 263 patients with MDD. METHODS: Patients recruited for a large clinical study on MDD underwent a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R assessment and were administered the self-rated TPQ [mean age = 39.5 +/- 10.5 years, women = 138 (53%), initial 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17) score = 19.6 +/- 3.4]. The TPQ was scored for three previously identified factors -- harm avoidance (HA), novelty seeking (NS), and reward dependence (RD). Multiple linear regression methods were used to evaluate the relationship between TPQ factors and each comorbid anxiety disorder as well as between early-- vs. late-onset MDD, after controlling for age, gender and initial HAM-D-17 score (when these were related to the dependent variable in simple regressions). RESULTS: Social anxiety disorder in MDD was strongly associated with higher scores on HA and lower scores on NS and RD (t = 5.4, p < 0.0001; t = 2.6, p = 0.009; t = 2.2, p = 0.028, respectively). A diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder in MDD was significantly related to higher HA scores (t = 2.8, p = 0.006). The presence of comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder was associated with lower NS scores (t = 2.3, p = 0.023) as was that of comorbid panic disorder (t = 2.0, p = 0.051). Finally, the presence of simple phobias was associated with lower scores on RD (t = 2.4, p = 0.016). HA scores were higher in patients with early onset of MDD (adjusted p = 0.05). Early versus late onset of MDD was not significantly related to NS or RD scores. LIMITATIONS: Since our sample consisted of moderately depressed outpatients, our ability to generalize our findings to other populations is limited. CONCLUSIONS: Features of temperament are related to patterns of anxiety disorder comorbidity and age of onset among patients with MDD. Higher levels of HA and lower levels of RD and NS were associated with an increased risk of anxiety disorder comorbidity in our sample. HA may also be related to early onset of depression.     

The relationship between basal level of anxiety and the affective response to inflammation

Pain is a multidimensional experience and is modulated by a number of factors. One such factor that plays a critical role in pain modulation is anxiety. However, the influence of individual differences in anxiety on higher order pain processing in rodents remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify animals that have baseline levels of high and low anxiety using the elevated plus maze and then measure pain threshold and place escape/avoidance responding (a measure of pain affect) in the animals. As expected, there was a range of baseline behavior in the elevated plus maze that was used to separate animals into high and low anxiety groups. Following carrageenan injection, both groups of animals developed a similar degree of mechanical hypersensitivity and both groups showed similar place escape/avoidance behavior. These findings suggest that individual differences in baseline anxiety levels do not significantly contribute to the development of mechanical sensitivity and do not modulate higher order pain processing related to pain affect and motivation.     

The relationship of affective state to dietary preference: winter depression and light therapy as a model

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) patients often crave carbohydrates when depressed during the winter. We measured dietary intake using a daily Food/Drink Frequency Questionnaire in 36 SAD patients over four conditions: when depressed in winter, during light therapy (1 h 2500 lux, morning or evening), during withdrawal, and when euthymic in summer. Carbohydrate intake (both sweet and starch) in the second half of the day was elevated during winter depression and was as low after light therapy as in summer. The medial hypothalamus is hypothesised to play a key role in coupling 'mood and food' in SAD.     

The relationship of self-disclosure to personality,adjustment and self-actualization

This study tested the hypothesis that a high level of self-disclosure is indicative of psychological adjustment and self-actualization. The self-disclosure scale. Social Avoidance and Distress, Fear of Negative Evaluation, Alienation and Repression-Sensitization scales were administered to 60 Ss. The results for all scales indicated that a high level of disclosure was associated with adjustment as measured by these scales. A second group of 94 Ss completed the self-disclosure scale and the Personal Orientation Inventory, a measure of self-actualization. The results indicated that high disclosers compared to low disclosers had achieved a higher level of self-actualization. That is, there were significant correlations between self-disclosure and measures of self-actualization such as Time Competence, Internal Support, Existentiality, Self-Acceptance and Capacity for Intimate Contact.     

The heritability of cluster A personality disorders assessed by both personal interview and questionnaire

BACKGROUND: Personality disorders (PDs) as assessed by questionnaires and personal interviews are heritable. However, we know neither how much unreliability of measurement impacts on heritability estimates nor whether the genetic and environmental risk factors assessed by these two methods are the same. We wish to know whether the same set of PD vulnerability factors are assessed by these two methods. METHOD: A total of 3334 young adult twin pairs from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel (NIPHTP) completed a questionnaire containing 91 PD items. One to 6 years later, 1386 of these pairs were interviewed with the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV). Self-report items predicting interview results were selected by regression. Measurement models were fitted using Mx. RESULTS: In the best-fit models, the latent liabilities to paranoid personality disorder (PPD), schizoid personality disorder (SPD) and schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) were all highly heritable with no evidence of shared environmental effects. For PPD and STPD, only unique environmental effects were specific to the interview measure whereas both environmental and genetic effects were found to be specific to the questionnaire assessment. For SPD, the best-fit model contained genetic and environmental effects specific to both forms of assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The latent liabilities to the cluster A PDs are highly heritable but are assessed by current methods with only moderate reliability. The personal interviews assessed the genetic risk for the latent trait with excellent specificity for PPD and STPD and good specificity for SPD. However, for all three PDs, the questionnaires were less specific, also indexing an independent set of genetic risk factors.