Anxiety-related Personality Traits Research Articles

Effects of MBCT training on anxiety-related personality traits in medical students: a pilot study

Effects of MBCT training on anxiety-related personality traits in medical students: a pilot study

The relationship between personality traits and dysfunctional attitudes in individuals with or without major depressive disorder: a case control study

BackgroundDysfunctional attitudes, which are characterized by distorted self-cognitions, were considered to be linked to personality traits. It was found that certain personality traits may predict dysfunctional attitudes in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Nonetheless, the relationship between personality traits and dysfunctional attitudes remains under-researched.AimsThe aim of this study is to examine the relationship between specific domains of Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) and dysfunctional attitudes in Chinese participants with or without MDD. In addition, the present study explores the associations between 16PF and eight subtypes of dysfunctional attitudes, based on the proposed eight-factor structure of the Chinese version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-Form A (C-DAS-A).MethodsOne hundred and sixty-eight participants with MDD and 130 healthy participants were included in the study (Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR1800014591). Personality was assessed using the 16PF Questionnaire. Dysfunctional attitudes were measured through the C-DAS-A.ResultsThe 16PF dimensions associated with dysfunctional attitudes and the eight subtypes were mainly concentrated in the four anxiety facets including factors C, L, O, and Q4, in both MDD and HC groups. There were significant differences in the 16 PF dimensions that would explain dysfunctional attitudes between the two groups, which were as follows: factors C, G, and O in the MDD group, and factors L and Q4 in the HC group.ConclusionsPersonality traits, especially the anxiety-related personality traits, were distinctly associated with the development of dysfunctional attitudes in people with or without MDD.

Decreased anxiety-like behavior in a selectively bred high nicotine-preferring rat line

Genetic vulnerability contributes significantly to the individual variability observed in nicotine dependence. Selective breeding for sensitivity to a particular effect of abused drugs has produced rodent lines useful for studying genetic vulnerability to drug addiction. Previous research showed that anxiety-related personality traits are associated with nicotine dependence. Therefore, we examined the differences in anxiety-like behavior between a high nicotine-preferring rat line and their controls. At the beginning of the study, all rats, naïve to any drug, were exposed sequentially to open field arena, marble-burying and elevated plus-maze paradigms. In the second step, all rats received nicotine in drinking water for 7 weeks. Behavioral tests were rerun on the final 2 weeks of chronic nicotine treatment. Elevated plus-maze testings under basal condition and during chronic nicotine treatment showed that the time spent on the open arms, preference for being in the open arms, and the latency to enter the closed arms were higher, whereas open arm avoidance index was lower in nicotine-preferring rats compared to the controls. In the open field test, nicotine-preferring rats spent longer time in the central zone and excreted less fecal pellets; they buried less marbles in the marble-burying test. These findings indicate a lower level of anxiety-like behavior in nicotine-preferring rat line under basal conditions and during chronic nicotine treatment. We conclude that lower anxiety level in nicotine-preferring rat line is consistent with novelty-seeking personality type and may increase vulnerability to nicotine dependence in this rat line.

Predicting anxiety-related personality traits by means of serotonergic VNTR variants STin2 and 5-HTTLPR

Polymorphisms of the serotonergic system are amongst the most commonly investigated genetic variants with respect to anxiety-related personality traits and affective disorders. Mostly the prominent 5-HTTLPR, a functional VNTR in the 5-HTT promoter region, is intensively analysed but effect sizes in meta-analyses are small and results are inconsistent. We reinvestigated the association of 5-HTTLPR with harm avoidance (HA) and neuroticism taking another functional 5-HTT-VNTR (STin2) into account, as both VNTRs have transcription regulating properties and research points to combinatorial effects on transcription efficacy. N = 2969 participants, among them 447 inpatients suffering from affective disorders, were genotyped and filled in the TCI, NEO-FFI personality inventories besides the CLEq measuring the extent of experienced stressful life events. Significant main effects for the 5-HTTLPR with inpatients carrying the L+ allele having lower HA scores as well as for the STin2 with healthy controls carrying at least one STin2.12R allele having lower neuroticism scores were observed. Besides no gene-interaction occurred. However, specific haplotype effects were observed in healthy participants as well as in the total sample. More specifically, the 12/L variant was associated with significant lower HA and neuroticism scores. Results highlight the multifactorial interplay of 5-HTT genetic variants and the use of haplotypes in association studies on anxiety-related personality traits with impact on affective disorders.

Changes in satisfaction and anxiety about radiotherapy for pediatric cancer by two-step audio-visual instruction.

Although radiotherapy is an essential component of pediatric cancer treatment, inadequate radiotherapy information for childhood cancer and unusual treatment situations can negatively affect parental perceptions and emotions. This study aims to investigate the effect of two-step audio-visual instruction system effects introduced by our institution on parent satisfaction and anxiety when initiating radiotherapy. The two-step audio-visual instruction system comprised instructive animation using patient avatars and a live video system. The live video system has a 55-inch-wide monitor, and a no-latency sound module. Parents in the radiotherapy division can view the patient in the treatment room through the live video system. This prospective study compared satisfaction and anxiety about radiotherapy introduction before and after two-step audio-visual instruction. We enrolled 20 parents whose child underwent radiotherapy, and they completed a set of questionnaires-Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and original questionnaires about radiotherapy. Satisfaction scores improved significantly after two-step audio visual instruction (25.5±3.4) compared with those before the instruction (27.7±3.1) (p = <0.01). Anxiety scores also decreased significantly after the instruction (50±9) compared with those before the instruction (54±11) (p=0.004). However, anxiety-related personality trait scores did not change drastically before and after viewing (48±8.5 vs. 49±7.5) (p=0.419). This single-arm prospective study indicates that two-step audio-visual instruction for radiotherapy is effective in improving parents' anxiety about radiotherapy introductions. However, large-scale and comparative studies are warranted to generalize the benefit of two-step audio visual instruction.

The Role of Serotonergic Gene Methylation in Regulating Anxiety-Related Personality Traits in Chimpanzees.

While low serotonergic activity is often associated with psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, mood, and personality disorders, variations in serotonin also contribute to normal personality differences. In this study, we investigated the role of blood DNA methylation levels at individual CpG sites of two key serotonergic genes (serotonin receptor gene 1A, HTR1A; serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4) in predicting the personalities of captive chimpanzees. We found associations between methylation at 9/48 CpG sites with four personality dimensions: Dominance, Reactivity/Dependability, Agreeableness, and Openness. Directionality of effects were CpG location-dependent and confirmed a role of serotonergic methylation in reducing anxiety (Dominance) and aggression-related personality (Reactivity/Undependability) while simultaneously promoting prosocial (Agreeableness) and exploratory personalities (Openness). Although early-life adversity has been shown to impact serotonergic methylation patterns in other species, here, atypical early social rearing experiences only had a modest impact on CpG methylation levels in this chimpanzee sample. The precise environmental factors impacting serotonergic methylation in chimpanzees remain to be identified. Nevertheless, our study suggests a role in shaping natural variation in animal personalities. The results of this study offer a basis for future hypothesis-driven testing in additional populations and species to better understand the impact of ecology and evolution on complex behavioral traits.

Effect of live video viewing on parents’ satisfaction and anxiety about radiotherapy introduction during radiotherapy for pediatric cancer

<h3>Objectives</h3> Althoughradiotherapy is an essential component of pediatric cancer treatment, parents of patients are often anxious and stressed before and during treatment. Less information on radiotherapy for childhood cancer and unusual treatment situations can lead parents to have negative perceptions and emotions. Our institute introduced a high-resolution camera and wide-screen live video system in the radiotherapy division to allow parents to view treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of this system on parent satisfaction and anxiety about radiotherapy introduction <h3>Methods</h3> The live video system comprised a high-resolution camera, 100-inch-wide monitor, and no-latency sound module. Parents in the radiotherapy division can view the patient in the treatment room through the monitor implemented next to the control room. This prospective study compared satisfaction and anxiety about radiotherapy introduction before and after live video viewing. Twenty parents whose child underwent radiotherapy were enrolled, and they completed a set of questionnaires—Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and original questionnaires about radiotherapy. <h3>Results</h3> Satisfactionscores improved significantly after live video viewing (67 ± 30) compared with those before live video viewing (82 ± 21) (p=0.013). Anxiety scores also decreased significantly after live video viewing (50 ± 9) compared with those before viewing (54 ± 11) (p=0.004). On the contrary, trait anxiety-related personality trait scores did not change drastically before and after viewing (48 ± 8.5 vs. 49 ± 7.5) (p=0.419) <h3>Conclusion</h3> This single-arm prospective study indicates that live video viewing of radiotherapy is effective in improving parents' anxiety about radiotherapy introduction s. Further large-scale and comparative studies are warranted to generalize the benefit of live video viewing.

Anxious Personality Traits: Perspectives from Basic Emotions and Neurotransmitters.

Objective: Recently, many emotional diseases, such as anxiety and depression, have prevailed, and it is expected that emotional disease will be the leading cause of social and economic burden in 2030. These emotional diseases may be due to certain personality traits, which could be the reasons for the development of mental illness. Personality theories have been constantly developed over the past hundreds of years, and different dimensions of personality traits corresponding to different physiological bases and emotional feelings have been proposed. However, personality may be the least studied area in psychology. Methods: In this paper, we will give a short review on the development of personality theories as well as dimensional emotional theory. Then, we will compare the similarities between the emotional dimension and personality dimension. Furthermore, we will also investigate the neural mechanisms of personality and emotions, focusing on neuromodulators for anxiety-related personality traits, in order to provide a clear relationship between different neurotransmitters and anxiety-related personality traits. Results: The results of our study suggest that the emotional dimension and personality dimension may be somewhat related, for example, the extrovert/introvert dimension of personality might be related to the hedonic dimension, which includes happiness/sadness, and the neurotic dimensions might be related to emotional arousal. In addition, our study found that personality traits are also related to basic emotions, for instance, people who are too self-centered are prone to feeling a mood of disgust or depression, while anger and fear correspond to unstable personality traits. The analysis suggested that the neural substrates of both personality and emotions might be described as follows: extroverted–joy–dopamine (DA); introverted–disgust–5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT); unstable (neuroticism)–anger/fear–noradrenaline (NE); stable–calmness. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that there is a correlation between personality traits and emotions, and both depend on monoamine neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin). In addition, personality disorders can be interfered via the regulation of emotions and neurotransmitters. This paper opens up a whole new perspective for future research on personality traits and emotional diseases and has great clinical value and practical significance.

Personality and psychopathology in Ménière's disease

Introduction and ObjectivesPsychological factors in vertigo patients have been extensively studied but the role of anxiety and personality traits in the clinical course of Ménière's disease (MD) is unknown. The objectives of this study are to identify and characterize psychopathology in MD and to find risk factors for an increased rate and intensity of crisis and chronic symptoms. Materials and MethodsWe performed a transversal study in all patients diagnosed with definite MD in our department during a 5-year period. Sample subjects were interviewed in 3 steps: first, an otorhinolaryngologist collected information about clinical and pharmacological background of MD; second, a psychiatrist screened for mood, anxiety and personality disorders; in a third stage, the patient completed the DHI (Dizziness Handicap Inventory), STAI-Y (State Trait Anxiety Inventory), NEO-PI-R (Neo Personality Inventory Reviewed) and VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) for vertigo and dizziness. Statistical analysis was performed to search for risk factors for multiple and intense crisis and chronic symptoms. ResultsThirty-four patients completed all 3 phases of the study. A predominant dysfunctional personality trait was identified in 80% of patients (predominantly cluster C type), 35% were being treated with psychiatric medication and 34.4% had a considerable mood or anxiety disorder. All patients scored high (>7) in VAS during crisis. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between crisis rate and STAI, anxiety-subscale (N1) in NEO-PI-R, VAS and DHI scores (p<.044). Crises were more common in bilateral MD (p=.041). DHI scores were higher with higher STAI and N1 (p=.001). Disease duration and pure tone average were found to have a positive moderate correlation (p=.017). ConclusionsThe positive correlations between crisis rate, chronic dizziness and anxiety-related personality traits reveal a bidirectional and intimate relationship between personality, anxiety and MD, affecting these patients’ quality of life. These results support the relevance of prospecting adjuvant psychological and psychiatric approaches to these patients.

Purchasing under threat: Changes in shopping patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The spreading of COVID-19 has led to panic buying all over the world. In this study, we applied an animal model framework to elucidate changes in human purchasing behavior under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Purchasing behavior and potential predictors were assessed in an online questionnaire format (N = 813). Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the role of individually Perceived Threat of COVID-19, anxiety related personality traits (trait-anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty) and the role of media exposure in predicting quantity and frequency of purchasing behavior. High levels of Perceived Threat of COVID-19 were associated significantly with a reported reduction in purchasing frequency (b = -.24, p < .001) and an increase in the quantity of products bought per purchase (b = .22, p < .001). These results are comparable to observed changes in foraging behavior in rodents under threat conditions. Higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty (b = .19, p < .001) and high extend of media exposure (b = .27, p < .001) were positively associated with Perceived Threat of COVID-19 and an increase in purchasing quantity. This study contributes to our understanding of aberrated human purchasing behavior and aims to link findings from animal research to human behavior beyond experimental investigations.

Personality and psychopathology in Ménière's disease

Introduction and ObjectivesPsychological factors in vertigo patients have been extensively studied but the role of anxiety and personality traits in the clinical course of Ménière's disease (MD) is unknown. The objectives of this study are to identify and characterize psychopathology in MD and to find risk factors for an increased rate and intensity of crisis and chronic symptoms. Materials and MethodsWe performed a transversal study in all patients diagnosed with definite MD in our department during a 5-year period. Sample subjects were interviewed in 3 steps: first, an otorhinolaryngologist collected information about clinical and pharmacological background of MD; second, a psychiatrist screened for mood, anxiety and personality disorders; in a third stage, the patient completed the DHI (Dizziness Handicap Inventory), STAI-Y (State Trait Anxiety Inventory), NEO-PI-R (Neo Personality Inventory Reviewed) and VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) for vertigo and dizziness. Statistical analysis was performed to search for risk factors for multiple and intense crisis and chronic symptoms. ResultsThirty-four patients completed all 3 phases of the study. A predominant dysfunctional personality trait was identified in 80% of patients (predominantly cluster C type), 35% were being treated with psychiatric medication and 34.4% had a considerable mood or anxiety disorder. All patients scored high (>7) in VAS during crisis. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between crisis rate and STAI, anxiety-subscale (N1) in NEO-PI-R, VAS and DHI scores (p<.044). Crises were more common in bilateral MD (p=.041). DHI scores were higher with higher STAI and N1 (p=.001). Disease duration and pure tone average were found to have a positive moderate correlation (p=.017). ConclusionsThe positive correlations between crisis rate, chronic dizziness and anxiety-related personality traits reveal a bidirectional and intimate relationship between personality, anxiety and MD, affecting these patients’ quality of life. These results support the relevance of prospecting adjuvant psychological and psychiatric approaches to these patients.

Rs2572431 Polymorphism on Chromosome 8 Is Associated With Individual Differences in Anxiety Related Coping Modes.

ObjectiveThe role of genetic factors in the interplay between anxiety-related coping and personality has been the subject of interest in numerous previous studies. The current study focused on anxiety-related coping modes, namely repression versus sensitization (i.e., cognitive avoidance versus vigilance), and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2572431. An association between this SNP and anxiety-related personality traits has previously been shown in a genome wide association study, thus further investigation of the relationship between this SNP and anxiety-related coping seems warranted.MethodsIn the present study, N = 880 mostly Caucasian participants (n = 269 males and n = 611 females; mean-age: 23.88, SD = 7.19) filled in a personality questionnaire assessing individual differences in cognitive avoidance and vigilance, and all participants were genotyped for rs2572431.ResultsParticipants homozygous for the T-allele in rs2572431 showed the highest vigilance scores in all scenarios tested. This is in line with findings from an earlier genome wide association study demonstrating that the T-allele is also associated with higher neuroticism scores.ConclusionThe current study yields evidence for the role of rs2572431 in the molecular genetic underpinnings of coping modes and, more broadly, for its connection with personality.

Brain responses to virtual reality visual motion stimulation are affected by neurotic personality traits in patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness.

Persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a common vestibular disorder of persistent dizziness and unsteadiness, exacerbated by upright posture, self-motion, and exposure to complex or moving visual stimuli. Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies found dysfunctional activity in the visual-vestibular cortices in patients with PPPD. Clinical studies showed that the anxiety-related personality traits of neuroticism and introversion may predispose individuals to PPPD. However, the effects of these traits on brain function in patients with PPPD versus healthy controls (HCs) have not been studied. To investigate potential differential effects of neuroticism and introversion on functioning of their visuo-vestibular networks, 15 patients with PPPD and 15 HCs matched for demographics and motion sickness susceptibility underwent fMRI during virtual reality simulation of a rollercoaster ride in vertical and horizontal directions. Neuroticism positively correlated with activity in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFg), and enhanced connectivity between the IFg and occipital regions in patients with PPPD relative to HCs during vertical versus horizontal motion comparison. In patients with PPPD, neuroticism increased the activity and connectivity of neural networks that mediate attention to visual motion cues during vertical motion. This mechanism may mediate visual control of balance in neurotic patients with PPPD.

SUN-287 Pituitary Gigantism Presenting as Anxiety

Overproduction of growth hormone in a young person with open epiphyses results in gigantism. Pituitary gigantism is rare and its cause is most often a pituitary adenoma. We present a 9 y.o. boy followed by his psychiatrist, referred for worsening anxiety and rapid growth. He had a history of mild anxiety in childhood with worsening of symptoms a year prior to the endocrine visit. He also had aggressive behavior, irritable mood and poor concentration. He was started on guanfacine with subsequent addition of escitalopram. He has been rapidly outgrowing his clothes and shoes (men’s size 9) and complains of heat intolerance. He was following along the 97th percentile for height with significant growth acceleration observed starting at age 7 y.o. Current height is at +2.8 SDS. Weight has increased from the 90th percentile to the 97th percentile since age 4 y.o. and currently at +2.3 SDS. His BMI was at the 95th percentile. Physical examination showed a prominent jaw, widely-spaced teeth, large hands and feet, Tanner I pubic hair, no axillary hair, testicular volume 3 ml bilateral. Initial bloodwork showed elevated IGF-1 at 925 ng/mL (+13.7 SDS). Random growth hormone level was elevated at 5.66 ng/mL. He had normal male karyotype, free T4 was 1.5 ng/dL, with TSH of 2.13 uIU/mL. Prolactin level was normal. Growth hormone level after an oral glucose load showed a nadir of 2.76 ng/mL. This confirms growth hormone excess. ACTH and cortisol levels were normal. FSH and testosterone levels were prepubertal. Intact PTH, calcium and phosphorus levels were all normal. Skeletal survey did not identify any fibrous dysplasia seen in McCune Albright syndrome. Echocardiogram did not show atrial myxoma associated with Carney complex. MRI of the brain and pituitary gland was obtained which showed 4mm x 5 mm pituitary microadenoma. He underwent transsphenoidal surgery. IGF-I level twelve weeks post-surgery had decreased to 384 ng/mL (+4.3 SDS) showing a good response to transsphenoidal surgery. Repeat growth hormone suppression test showed a nadir level of 0.66 ng/mL. Goal of treatment is to normalize IGF-I level based on age. On subsequent visit with his psychiatrist, behavior issues and anxiety have improved with plans to discontinue psychotropic medications. We report a case of growth-hormone secreting pituitary adenoma presenting with anxiety. Patients with pituitary adenomas show a distinct pattern of increased anxiety-related personality traits compared with the general population, proposed to be due to direct and indirect effects of the pituitary lesion or hormonal disturbance on neural circuits or neurotransmission. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are valuable targets for possible future treatment interventions.

Association between amygdala neurokinin-1 receptor availability and anxiety-related personality traits

Animal studies indicate that substance P (SP) and its preferred neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor modulate stress and anxiety-related behavior. Alterations in the SP-NK1 system have also been observed in human anxiety disorders, yet little is known about the relation between this system and individual differences in personality traits associated with anxiety propensity and approach-avoidance behavior, including trait anxiety, neuroticism, and extraversion. Exploring this relation could provide important insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of human anxiety and the etiology of anxiety disorders, as anxious traits are associated with increased susceptibility to develop psychopathological conditions. Here we examined the relationship between central NK1 receptor availability and self-rated measures of trait anxiety, neuroticism, and extraversion. The amygdala was chosen as the primary region of interest since this structure has been suggested to mediate the effect of the SP-NK1 system on anxiety. Anxious traits and NK1 receptor availability, determined with positron emission tomography and the radiotracer [11C]GR205171, were measured in 17 healthy individuals. Voxel-wise analyses showed a significant positive correlation between bilateral amygdala NK1 receptor availability and trait anxiety, and a trend in similar direction was observed for neuroticism. Conversely, extraversion was found to be negatively associated with amygdala NK1 receptor availability. Extraversion also correlated negatively with the NK1 measure in the cuneus/precuneus and fusiform gyrus according to exploratory whole-brain analyses. In conclusion, our findings indicate that amygdala NK1 receptor availability is associated with anxiety-related personality traits in healthy subjects, consistent with a modulatory role for the SP-NK1 system in human anxiety.

Distancing the present self from the past and the future: Psychological distance in anxiety and depression.

Humans show a systematic tendency to perceive the future as psychologically closer than the past. Based on the clinical hypothesis that anxiety would be associated more with future threat life events, whereas depression with past loss events, here we explored whether people with anxiety- and depression-related personality traits perceive differently the psychological distance of temporal events. Results showed that the common tendency to perceive the future as psychologically closer than the past is exaggerated in individuals with anxiety-related personality traits, whereas this asymmetry drastically shrinks in individuals with depression-related personality traits. Beyond substantiating the hypothesis that the past and the future are differently faced by people with depression- and anxiety-related personality traits, the present findings suggest that temporal orientation of one's self may be greatly altered in anxiety and depression.

Further evidence for genetic variation at the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 contributing toward anxiety.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common and heritable psychiatric disorder. However, genetic studies in SAD are rare and only a few candidate genes have been implicated so far. In the present study, we investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with other psychiatric disorders also contribute toward the development of SAD and followed up variants associated with SAD on the phenotypic level. We genotyped a total of 24 SNPs in a German sample of 321 SAD patients and 804 controls. We carried out single-marker analyses as well as quantitative association analyses of SAD severity and harm avoidance. None of the variants investigated showed an association with SAD in our case-control sample after Bonferroni correction. Two SNPs reached nominal significance (rs818702, P=0.032; rs140701, P=0.048). Of these, only rs140701 showed an association in the same allelic direction as reported previously. This SNP is located within the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4, which is the primary target of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors used for the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. The quantitative association analysis of all cases with available data on symptom severity showed four SNPs with a nominal significant association. Among these SNPs, rs10994359 showed the strongest association (P=0.001) and was located near the ANK3 gene. In addition, rs10994359 was nominally associated with harm avoidance scores (P=0.001). Our results provide further evidence for an involvement of the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 in the etiology of anxiety-related traits. Furthermore, our study implicates that genetic variation at the genome-wide associated bipolar disorder locus ANK3 might influence anxiety-related personality traits.

Chronic subjective dizziness: Analysis ofunderlying personality factors.

Chronic subjective dizziness (CSD) is characterized by persistent dizziness, unsteadiness, and hypersensitivity to one's own motion or exposure to complex visual stimuli. CSD may be triggered, in predisposed individuals with specific personality traits, by acute vestibular diseases. CSD is also thought to arise from failure to re-establish normal balance strategies after resolution of acute vestibular events which may be modulated by diathesis to develop anxiety and depression. To confirm the role of personality traits linked to anxiety and depression (i.e., neuroticism, introversion, low openness) as predisposing factors for CSD and to evaluate how individual differences in these personality traits are associated with CSD severity. We compared 19 CSD patients with 24 individuals who had suffered from periferal vestibular disorders (PVD) (i.e., Benign Paroxysmal Postural Vertigo or Vestibular Neuritis) but had not developed CSD as well as with 25 healthy controls (HC) in terms of personality traits, assessed via the NEO-PI-R questionnaire. CSD patients, relative to PVD patients and HCs, scored higher on the anxiety facet of neuroticism. Total neuroticism scores were also significantly associated with dizziness severity in CSD patients but not PVD patients. Pre-existing anxiety-related personality traits may promote and sustain the initial etiophatogenetic mechanisms linked with the development of CSD. Targeting anxiety-related mechanisms in CSD may be therefore a promising way to reduce the disability associated with CSD.

Neuroticism modulates brain visuo-vestibular and anxiety systems during a virtual rollercoaster task.

Different lines of research suggest that anxiety‐related personality traits may influence the visual and vestibular control of balance, although the brain mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. To our knowledge, this is the first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that investigates how individual differences in neuroticism and introversion, two key personality traits linked to anxiety, modulate brain regional responses and functional connectivity patterns during a fMRI task simulating self‐motion. Twenty‐four healthy individuals with variable levels of neuroticism and introversion underwent fMRI while performing a virtual reality rollercoaster task that included two main types of trials: (1) trials simulating downward or upward self‐motion (vertical motion), and (2) trials simulating self‐motion in horizontal planes (horizontal motion). Regional brain activity and functional connectivity patterns when comparing vertical versus horizontal motion trials were correlated with personality traits of the Five Factor Model (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion‐introversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). When comparing vertical to horizontal motion trials, we found a positive correlation between neuroticism scores and regional activity in the left parieto‐insular vestibular cortex (PIVC). For the same contrast, increased functional connectivity between the left PIVC and right amygdala was also detected as a function of higher neuroticism scores. Together, these findings provide new evidence that individual differences in personality traits linked to anxiety are significantly associated with changes in the activity and functional connectivity patterns within visuo‐vestibular and anxiety‐related systems during simulated vertical self‐motion. Hum Brain Mapp 38:715–726, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met Polymorphism Affects the Relationship Between an Anxiety-Related Personality Trait and Resting Regional Cerebral Blood Flow.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important modulator of constitutive stress responses mediated by limbic frontotemporal circuits, and its gene contains a functional polymorphism (Val66Met) that may influence trait stress sensitivity. Reports of an association of this polymorphism with anxiety-related personality traits have been controversial and without clear neurophysiological support. We, therefore, determined the relationship between resting regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and a well-validated measure of anxiety-related personality, the TPQ Harm Avoidance (HA) scale, as a function of BDNF Val66Met genotype. Sixty-four healthy participants of European ancestry underwent resting H215O positron emission tomography scans. For each genotype group separately, we first determined the relationship between participants' HA scores and their resting rCBF values in each voxel across the entire brain, and then directly compared these HA-rCBF relationships between Val66Met genotype groups. HA-rCBF relationships differed between Val homozygotes and Met carriers in several regions relevant to stress regulation: subgenual cingulate, orbital frontal cortex, and the hippocampal/parahippocampal region. In each of these areas, the relationship was positive in Val homozygotes and negative in Met carriers. These data demonstrate a coupling between trait anxiety and basal resting blood flow in frontolimbic neurocircuitry that may be determined in part by genetically mediated BDNF signaling.