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Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions
Published on: February 15, 2021
Individual differences in personality traits reflect structural variance in specific brain regions.
Simona Gardini1, C Robert Cloninger, Annalena Venneri
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Italy; Clinical Neuroscience Centre, University of Hull, United Kingdom.
Brain Research Bulletin
|June 2, 2009
Summary
Individual personality traits like novelty seeking and harm avoidance are linked to specific brain structures. This study used MRI to find correlations between personality dimensions and grey matter volume in young adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Heritable personality dimensions (novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence, persistence) are influenced by neurobiology.
- Neuroimaging advances enable studying the relationship between personality traits and brain structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if individual differences in personality traits correlate with structural variations in specific brain regions.
- To explore the neuroanatomical basis of personality dimensions using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
Main Methods:
- Eighty-five young adults completed the Three-dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).
- Brain imaging was conducted using MRI.
- Voxel-based correlation analysis examined links between personality scores and grey matter volume.
Main Results:
- Novelty seeking positively correlated with grey matter in frontal and posterior cingulate regions.
- Harm avoidance showed negative correlation with grey matter in orbito-frontal, occipital, and parietal areas.
- Reward dependence negatively correlated with grey matter in the caudate nucleus and rectal frontal gyrus.
- Persistence positively correlated with grey matter in the precuneus, paracentral lobule, and parahippocampal gyrus.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence, and persistence may reflect structural variance in specific brain areas.
- The findings suggest a neuroanatomical basis for major personality dimensions.
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