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“Nothing to see here”: No structural brain differences as a function of the Big Five personality traits from a systematic review and meta-analysis. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 5:e8. [PMID: 35991756 PMCID: PMC9379932 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2021.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Personality reflects social, affective, and cognitive predispositions that emerge from genetic and environmental influences. Contemporary personality theories conceptualize a Big Five Model of personality based on the traits of neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Starting around the turn of the millennium, neuroimaging studies began to investigate functional and structural brain features associated with these traits. Here, we present the first study to systematically evaluate the entire published literature of the association between the Big Five traits and three different measures of brain structure. Qualitative results were highly heterogeneous, and a quantitative meta-analysis did not produce any replicable results. The present study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the literature and its limitations, including sample heterogeneity, Big Five personality instruments, structural image data acquisition, processing, and analytic strategies, and the heterogeneous nature of personality and brain structures. We propose to rethink the biological basis of personality traits and identify ways in which the field of personality neuroscience can be strengthened in its methodological rigor and replicability.
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Giannakopoulos P, Rodriguez C, Montandon ML, Garibotto V, Haller S, Herrmann FR. Personality Impact on Alzheimer's Disease-Signature and Vascular Imaging Markers: A PET-MRI Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 85:1807-1817. [PMID: 34958019 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several studies postulated that personality is an independent determinant of cognitive trajectories in old age. OBJECTIVE This study explores the impact of personality on widely used Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular imaging markers. METHODS We examined the association between personality and three classical AD imaging markers (centiloid-based-amyloid load, MRI volumetry in hippocampus, and media temporal lobe atrophy), and two vascular MRI parameters (Fazekas score and number of cortical microbleeds) assessed at baseline and upon a 54-month-follow-up. Personality was assessed with the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory-Revised. Regression models were used to identify predictors of imaging markers including sex, personality factors, presence of APOE ɛ4 allele and cognitive evolution over time. RESULTS Cortical GM volumes were negatively associated with higher levels of Conscientiousness both at baseline and follow-up. In contrast, higher scores of Openness were related to better preservation of left hippocampal volumes in these two time points and negatively associated with medial temporal atrophy at baseline. Amyloid load was not affected by personality factors. Cases with higher Extraversion scores displayed higher numbers of cortical microbleeds at baseline. CONCLUSION Personality impact on brain morphometry is detected only in some among the routinely used imaging markers. The most robust associations concern the positive role of high levels of Conscientiousness and Openness on AD-signature MRI markers. Higher extraversion levels are associated with increased vulnerability to cortical microbleeds pointing to the fact that the socially favorable traits may have a detrimental effect on brain integrity in old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panteleimon Giannakopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cristelle Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Louise Montandon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Garibotto
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Diagnostic Department, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sven Haller
- CIMC - Centre d'Imagerie Médicale de Cornavin, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - François R Herrmann
- Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Giannakopoulos P, Rodriguez C, Montandon ML, Garibotto V, Haller S, Herrmann FR. Less agreeable, better preserved? A PET amyloid and MRI study in a community-based cohort. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 89:24-31. [PMID: 32169357 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between personality profiles and brain integrity in old age is still a matter of debate. We examined the association between Big Five factor and facet scores and MRI brain volume changes on a 54-month follow-up in 65 elderly controls with 3 neurocognitive assessments (baseline, 18 months, and 54 months), structural brain MRI (baseline and 54 months), brain amyloid PET during follow-up, and APOE genotyping. Personality was assessed with the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory-Revised. Regression models were used to identify predictors of volume loss including time, age, sex, personality, amyloid load, presence of APOE ε4 allele, and cognitive evolution. Lower agreeableness factor scores (and 4 of its facets) were associated with lower volume loss in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, amygdala, mesial temporal lobe, and precuneus bilaterally. Higher openness factor scores (and 2 of its facets) were also associated with lower volume loss in the left hippocampus. Our findings persisted when adjusting for confounders in multivariable models. These data suggest that the combination of low agreeableness and high openness is an independent predictor of better preservation of brain volume in areas vulnerable to neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panteleimon Giannakopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Cristelle Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Louise Montandon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Medical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Garibotto
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Diagnostic Department, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sven Haller
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; CIRD - Centre d'Imagerie Rive Droite, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - François R Herrmann
- Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Wu CL, Zhong S, Chan YC, Chen HC, He Y. White-Matter Structural Connectivity in Relation to Humor Styles: An Exploratory Study. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1654. [PMID: 30233473 PMCID: PMC6131631 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the potential relationship between white matter (WM) microstructure and humor styles, diffusion tensor images of brain WM and humor style tendencies were obtained from thirty healthy adults. Using connectivity efficiency measures from graph theoretical analysis and controlling for the influence of gender, age, educational level, and the big five personality traits, we preliminarily examined the prediction of humor styles from brain network efficiency. The results showed that the local efficiency within particular brain networks positively predicted a self-enhancing humor style and negatively predicted an aggressive humor style. The node efficiency of the left superior temporal gyrus distinguished the benevolent or hostile way that individuals coped with interpersonal embarrassment. These findings from this exploratory study support the hypothesis that WM structure influences humor styles, and provide the initial evidence and implications regarding the relationship between biological mechanisms and mental health for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Lin Wu
- Program of Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Suyu Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Chen Chan
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Chinese Language and Technology Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Chih Chen
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Chinese Language and Technology Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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