The Relationship Between Personality Traits And White Matter Integrity

ObjectiveThe research objective is to study the neurobiological mechanism of personality traits in healthy adults through the use of three personality scales combined with the brain’s nuclear magnetic resonance.Diffusion tensor imaging was used to explore the neural structural basis and correlation among health adults from the perspective of white matter microstructure,and explore whether the complete performance of white matter fiber structure can predict personality characteristics.Methods(1)Questionnaire survey was used to collect demographic data and personality data from subjects who had been openly recruited and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria through a self-prepared demographic questionnaire and three personality scales.And then the brain MRI method was used to collect the diffusion tensor imaging data.(2)Based on the MATLAB R2014 a platform,the DPABI_V2.3 software was used to separate the individual diffusion tensor imaging images from the brain function and structure images.The diffusion tensor imaging data was preprocessed by the PANDA software and the FA and MD indexes were calculated.The REST V1.8 software was used to perform correlation analysis between the scale data and the diffusion tensor imaging indicators FA and MD.In addition,SPSS 22.0 software was used to perform descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis on the data of the three personality scales.Results(1)There was a significant negative correlation between the extroversion dimension score of eysenck’s personality and FA value in the part of left anterior cingulate and lateral cingulate,right hippocampus,right thalamus,right caudate,and right superior parietalgyrus(r=-0.196,-0.194,-0.155,-0.189,-0.197,P<0.005,AlphaSim correction,the same below);and a significant positive correlation between the extroversion dimension score of eysenck’s personality and MD value in the part of right superior temporal gyrus,right calcarine cortex,left middle frontal gyrus,left superior parietal gyrus,left fusiform,and left middle occipital gyrus(r=0.188,0.172,0.156,0.179,0.182,0.156,P<0.005).There was a significant negative correlation between the neuroticism dimension score of eysenck’s personality and FA value in the part of right putamen and left middle occipital gyrus(r=-0.160,-0.185,P<0.005).(2)There was a significant positive correlation between the intelligence dimension score of cattell sixteen personality factors and FA value in the part of left caudate,left thalamus,left fusiform and left hippocampus regions(r=0.239,0.256,0.240,0.257,P<0.005);and a significant negative correlation between the intelligence dimension score of cattell sixteen personality factors and MD value in the part of left thalamus,right supramarginal,and right thalamus regions(r=-0.224,-0.235,-0.223,P<0.005).There was a significant negative correlation between the constant dimension score of cattell sixteen personality factors and MD value in the part of left triangle inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral thalamus regions(r=-0.254,-0.174,-0.185,P<0.05).There was a significant negative correlation between the anxiety dimension score of cattell sixteen personality factors and FA value in the part of left caudate,bilateral anterior cingulate and lateral cingulate,and right amygdala regions(r=-0.199,-0.210,-0.249,-0.194,P<0.05);and a significant positive correlation between the anxiety dimension score of cattell sixteen personality factors and MD value in the part of left inferior frontal gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus(r=0.219,0.176,P < 0.05).(3)There was a significant positive correlation between the extroversion dimension score of big five personality and MD value in the part of right calcarine cortex,left medial and lateral cingulate gyrus,and right superior temporal gyrus areas(r=0.210,0.221,0.200,P<0.005).There was a significant positive correlation between the openness to experience dimension score of big five personality and MD value in the part of left medial occipitalregion and right calcarine cortex(r=0.275,0.231,P<0.01).There was a significant positive correlation between the conscientiousness dimension score of big five personality and FA value in the part of left insula(r=0.185,P<0.005);and a significant negative correlation between the conscientiousness dimension score of big five personality and MD value in the part of left superior frontal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus(r=-0.184,-0.196,P<0.005).ConclusionsThe correlation between 24 personality traits of three personality scales and white matter fiber integrity was studied and it was found that the correlation between 8personality traits and white matter fiber integrity was statistically significant.These 8personality traits were the extroversion and neuroticism of eysenck’s personality;the intelligence,perseverance,and anxiety of the cattell sixteen personality factors;the extroversion,openness to experience,and conscientiousness of the big five personality.Among them,the extroversion dimensions of eysenck and big five have general consistent results.It shows that personality traits are based on a certain brain structure,and the integrity of the white matter fiber of the brain has a certain correlation with personality traits.This study provides theoretical support for the neurobiological basis of personality,and suggests in practice that we can refer to the results of white matter fiber integrity in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with clinical personality disorder in the future,which has a certain supporting role.