Big Five personality predict epilepsy diagnosis in 7  years

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Growing interest exists in how personality traits predict disease risk.
• Preliminary evidence links personality to epilepsy, but longitudinal studies are needed.
• This study investigates the predictive value of the Big Five personality traits for epilepsy diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the Big Five personality traits predict the risk of an epilepsy diagnosis.
• To explore potential sex differences in the relationship between personality and epilepsy.
• To contribute to understanding the psychophysiological associations in epilepsy.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 17,789 participants in the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) from Wave 3 (2011-2012) to Wave 10 (2018-2019).
• Binary logistic regression models used to assess the association between personality traits and epilepsy diagnosis, controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors.
• Included age, income, education, marital status, and residence as covariates.

Main Results:

• A total of 175 participants (0.98%) were diagnosed with epilepsy at Wave 10.
• Neuroticism was significantly associated with an increased risk of epilepsy diagnosis in males (OR=1.32, p=0.04).
• No significant association was found between neuroticism and epilepsy risk in females, nor were other Big Five traits significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• Personality traits, particularly neuroticism in males, may be relevant factors in epilepsy risk.
• Findings suggest personality traits can enhance understanding of psychophysiological links in epilepsy.
• Sex differences in the personality-epilepsy relationship warrant consideration in future research and clinical practice.