Biology of Perseverative Negative Thinking: The Role of Timing and Folate Intake

Past-oriented rumination and future-oriented worry are two aspects of perseverative negative thinking related to the neuroticism endophenotype and associated with depression and anxiety. Our present aim was to investigate the genomic background of these two aspects of perseverative negative thinking within separate groups of individuals with suboptimal versus optimal folate intake. We conducted a genome-wide association study in the UK Biobank database (n = 72,621) on the “rumination” and “worry” items of the Eysenck Personality Inventory Neuroticism scale in these separate groups. Optimal folate intake was related to lower worry, but unrelated to rumination. In contrast, genetic associations for worry did not implicate specific biological processes, while past-oriented rumination had a more specific genetic background, emphasizing its endophenotypic nature. Furthermore, biological pathways leading to rumination appeared to differ according to folate intake: purinergic signaling and circadian regulator gene ARNTL emerged in the whole sample, blastocyst development, DNA replication, and C-C chemokines in the suboptimal folate group, and prostaglandin response and K+ channel subunit gene KCNH3 in the optimal folate group. Our results point to possible benefits of folate in anxiety disorders, and to the importance of simultaneously taking into account genetic and environmental factors to determine personalized intervention in polygenic and multifactorial disorders.

Openness to experience and overexcitabilities in a sample of highly gifted middle school students

A sample of 108 highly gifted middle school students participated in a study of the relationships between Big Five factors and overexcitabilities. Students completed the NEO-FFI and Overexcitabilities Questionnaire-II (OEQ-II). A cutoff score applied to the OEQ-II created a threshold for overexcitability, ensuring only extreme responses. Analysis groups were based on the number of OEs students possessed based on the cutoff score. An analysis of variance assessed differences in students’ NEO-FFI scores according to the number of OEs they reported. Students with three or more overexcitabilities had significantly higher scores on NEO-FFI openness to experience than students with fewer overexcitabilities. Gifted females had significantly higher scores on NEO-FFI neuroticism scale than gifted males. The results hold implications for understanding the academic and social-emotional needs of highly gifted students and justify use of the Big Five model and overexcitabilities together to further understand the relationship between intelligence, personality, and giftedness.

UV RADIATION AND NEUROTICISM

Decreased UV radiation is associated with augmented depression, drug use, and domestic violence. Findings entailing folic acid suggest that gender moderates such relationships. The present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between UV radiation and Neuroticism among females and males. Representative consumer panels of three Peruvian cities at decreasing levels of radiation exposure were compared. A 7-item Neuroticism scale was used. A hierarchical regression model revealed that Neuroticism increases with decreased exposure to UV radiation, but the expected radiation x gender interaction failed to materialize. The findings uphold the concept that Neuroticism is responsive to geophysical stimulation. Improvements of mental health can be expected with climate change. The study should be replicated with strengthened methodology.

Apakah Pasutri Puas dengan Pernikahannya? Peranan Neuroticism terhadap Marital Satisfaction

Setiap pasangan memiliki pengalaman sendiri di dalam pernikahannya. Pernikahan tidak terlepas dengan permasalahan rumah tangga. Permasalahan-permasalahan yang muncul tersebut mampu mempengaruhi kepuasan dalam pernikahan yang dirasakan oleh setiap pasangan. Faktor yang mempengaruhi kepuasan tersebut adalah salah satu trait kepribadian Big Five yaitu neuroticism. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat hubungan neuroticism dengan marital satisfaction. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan subjek berjumlah 167 pasangan atau 334 subjek yang dipilih dengan metode purposive sampling. Alat ukur yang dalam penelitian ini adalah Skala Neuroticism dan Skala Marital Satisfaction. Analisis yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis data Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Hasil analisis data menunjukkan r = -0.544, p=.000 (p < 0.01), yang menunjukkan terdapat hubungan negatif yang signifikan antara neuroticism dengan marital satisfaction. Hal ini yang berarti bahwa emosi atau tingkat neuroticism pasangan yang tinggi akan menurunkan kepuasan pernikahan yang dirasakan. Every spouse has their own experience in their marriage. Marriage is inseparable from household problems. These problems can influence spouse‟s satisfaction in their marriage. One of the factors that influence this satisfaction is one of the Big Five personality traits which is neuroticism. This study aims to find relationship between neuroticism and marital satisfaction. This study is a quantitative study with 167 spouses or 334 subjects as sample that was chosen with purposive sampling method. The measuring instruments used are Neuroticism Scale and Marital Satisfaction Scale. Analysis data used is Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The data analysis result showed r= -0.544, p=.000 (p< 0.01), means there is a negative relationship between neuroticism and marital satisfaction. This means that the higher emotion or neuroticism level can reduce the marital satisfaction that spouses sense.

Dopamine Receptor DRD2 Gene rs1076560, Personality Traits and Anxiety in the Polysubstance Use Disorder

Development of an addiction is conditioned by many factors. The dopaminergic system has been shown to be the key element in this process. In this paper, we analyzed the influence of dopamine receptor 2 polymorphism rs1076560 in two groups—polysubstance-dependent male patients (n = 299) and the controls matched for age (n = 301). In both groups, we applied the same questionnaires for testing—Mini-international neuropsychiatric interview, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. The real-time PCR method was used for genotyping. When we compared the controls with the case group subjects, we observed significantly higher scores in the second group on both the state and trait scales of anxiety, as well as on the Neuroticism and Openness scales of the NEO-FFI; and lower scores on the scales of Extraversion and Agreeability of the NEO-FFI. The model 2 × 3 factorial ANOVA of the addicted subjects and controls was performed, and the DRD2 rs1076560 variant interaction was found for the anxiety state and trait scales, and for the NEO-FFI Neuroticism scale. The observed associations allow noticing that analysis of psychological factors in combination with genetic data opens new possibilities in addiction research.

A psychometric evaluation of the 12-item EPQ-R neuroticism scale in 502,591 UK Biobank participants using item response theory (IRT)

Background Neuroticism has been described as a broad and pervasive personality dimension or ‘heterogeneous’ trait measuring components of mood instability such as worry; anxiety; irritability; moodiness; self-consciousness; sadness and irritabililty. Consistent with depression and anxiety-related disorders, increased neuroticism places an individual vulnerable for other unipolar and bipolar mood disorders. However, the measurement of neuroticism remains a challenge. Our aim was to identify psychometrically efficient items and inform the inclusion of redundant items across the 12-item EPQ-R Neuroticism scale using Item Response Theory (IRT). Methods The 12-item binary EPQ-R Neuroticism scale was evaluated by estimating a two-parameter (2-PL) IRT model on data from 502,591 UK Biobank participants aged 37 to 73 years (M = 56.53 years; SD = 8.05), 54% female. Models were run listwise (n= 401,648) and post-estimation mathematical assumptions were computed. All analyses were conducted in STATA 16 SE on the Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) Data Portal. Results A plot of θ values (Item Information functions) showed that most items clustered around the mid-range where discrimination values ranged from 1.34 to 2.28. Difficulty values for individual item θ scores ranged from -0.13 to 1.41. A Mokken analysis suggested a weak to medium level of monotonicity between the items, no items reach strong scalability (H=0.35-0.47). Systematic item deletions and rescaling found that an 7-item scale is more efficient and with information (discrimination) ranging from 1.56 to 2.57 and stronger range of scalability (H=0.47-0.52). A 3-item scale is highly discriminatory but offers a narrow range of person ability (difficulty). A logistic regression differential item function (DIF) analysis exposed significant gender item bias functioning uniformly across all versions of the scale. Conclusions Across 401,648 UK Biobank participants, the 12-item EPQ-R neuroticism scale exhibited psychometric inefficiency with poor discrimination at the extremes of the scale-range. High and low scores are relatively poorly represented and uninformative suggesting that high neuroticism scores derived from the EPQ-R are a function of cumulative mid-range values. The scale also shows evidence of gender item bias and future scale development should consider the former along with item deletions.

A psychometric evaluation of the 12-item EPQ-R neuroticism scale in 502,591 UK Biobank participants using item response theory (IRT)

BackgroundNeuroticism has been described as a broad and pervasive personality dimension or ‘heterogeneous’ trait measuring components of mood instability such as worry; anxiety; irritability; moodiness; self-consciousness; sadness and irritabililty. Consistent with depression and anxiety-related disorders, increased neuroticism places an individual vulnerable for other unipolar and bipolar mood disorders. However, the measurement of neuroticism remains a challenge. Our aim was to identify psychometrically efficient items and inform the inclusion of redundant items across the 12-item EPQ-R Neuroticism scale using Item Response Theory (IRT).MethodsThe 12-item binary EPQ-R Neuroticism scale was evaluated by estimating a two-parameter (2-PL) IRT model on data from 502,591 UK Biobank participants aged 37 to 73 years (M = 56.53 years; SD = 8.05), 54% female. Models were run listwise (n= 401,648) and post-estimation mathematical assumptions were computed. All analyses were conducted in STATA 16 SE on the Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) Data Portal.ResultsA plot of θ values (Item Information functions) showed that most items clustered around the mid-range where discrimination values ranged from 1.34 to 2.28. Difficulty values for individual item θ scores ranged from −0.13 to 1.41. A Mokken analysis suggested a weak to medium level of monotonicity between the items, no items reach strong scalability (H=0.35-0.47). Systematic item deletions and rescaling found that an 7-item scale is more efficient and with information (discrimination) ranging from 1.56 to 2.57 and stronger range of scalability (H=0.47-0.52). A 3-item scale is highly discriminatory but offers a narrow range of person ability (difficulty). A logistic regression differential item function (DIF) analysis exposed significant gender item bias functioning uniformly across all versions of the scale.ConclusionsAcross 401,648 UK Biobank participants, the 12-item EPQ-R neuroticism scale exhibited psychometric inefficiency with poor discrimination at the extremes of the scale-range. High and low scores are relatively poorly represented and uninformative suggesting that high neuroticism scores derived from the EPQ-R are a function of cumulative mid-range values. The scale also shows evidence of gender item bias and future scale development should consider the former along with item deletions.

The Ankyrin Repeat and Kinase Domain Containing 1 Gene Polymorphism (ANKK1 Taq1A) and Personality Traits in Addicted Subjects

The Taq1A polymorphism located in the ANKK1 gene is one of the most widely studied polymorphisms in regards to the genetics of behavior and addiction. The aim of our study was to analyze this polymorphism with regard to personality characteristics and anxiety measured by means of the Personality Inventory—(NEO Five-Factor Inventory—NEO—FFI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in polysubstance addicted subjects. The study group consisted of 600 male volunteers, including 299 addicted subjects and 301 controls. Psychiatrists recruited members for both groups. Addiction was diagnosed in the case group. In the control group mental illness was excluded. The same psychometric test and genotyping using the real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method was performed for both groups. The results were investigated by means of multivariate analysis of the main effects Multi-factor ANOVA. Significantly higher scores on the scale of STAI state and Neuroticism and Openness traits, as well as lower scores on the scales of Extraversion, Agreeability, and Conscientiousness, were found in the case group subjects, compared to the controls. Differences in frequency of genotypes and alleles of Taq1A polymorphism between the studied groups were not found. Multi-factor ANOVA of addicted subjects and control subjects and the ANKK1 Taq1A variant interaction approximated the statistical significance for the STAI state. The main effects ANOVA of both subjects’ groups were found for the STAI state and trait, the Neuroticism scale, the Extraversion scale, and the Agreeability scale. The ANKK1 Taq1A main effects approximated the statistical significance of the STAI trait. Our study shows not only differences in personality traits between addicted and non-addicted subjects, but also the possible impact of ANKK1 on given traits and on addiction itself.

Genetic contributions to two special factors of neuroticism are associated with affluence, higher intelligence, better health, and longer life

Higher scores on the personality trait of neuroticism, the tendency to experience negative emotions, are associated with worse mental and physical health. Studies examining links between neuroticism and health typically operationalize neuroticism by summing the items from a neuroticism scale. However, neuroticism is made up of multiple heterogeneous facets, each contributing to the effect of neuroticism as a whole. A recent study showed that a 12-item neuroticism scale described one broad trait of general neuroticism and two special factors, one characterizing the extent to which people worry and feel vulnerable, and the other characterizing the extent to which people are anxious and tense. This study also found that, although individuals who were higher on general neuroticism lived shorter lives, individuals whose neuroticism was characterized by worry and vulnerability lived longer lives. Here, we examine the genetic contributions to the two special factors of neuroticism—anxiety/tension and worry/vulnerability—and how they contrast with that of general neuroticism. First, we show that, whereas the polygenic load for neuroticism is associated with the genetic risk of coronary artery disease, lower intelligence, lower socioeconomic status (SES), and poorer self-rated health, the genetic variants associated with high levels of anxiety/tension, and high levels of worry/vulnerability are associated with genetic variants linked to higher SES, higher intelligence, better self-rated health, and longer life. Second, we identify genetic variants that are uniquely associated with these protective aspects of neuroticism. Finally, we show that different neurological pathways are linked to each of these neuroticism phenotypes.