Summary.
The 5-HT1A receptor plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of anxiety and depression as well as in the mode of action of anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs. Human 5-HT1A gene transcription is modulated by a common C-1016G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in its upstream regulatory region. In the present study, we evaluated the role of the HTR1A-1019 polymorphism in the modulation of individual differences in personality traits by an association study of a sample of healthy volunteers. Personality traits were assessed with two different methods, NEO personality inventory (NEO-PI-R) and Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). There was a significant effect of the HTR1A-1019 polymorphism on NEO Neuroticism with carriers of the G allele showing higher scores than individuals homozygous for the C variant. The effect was primarily due to associations with the Neuroticism facets Anxiety and Depression. Carriers of the G allele also exhibited higher TPQ Harm Avoidance scores. Our findings indicate a role of allelic variation in 5-HT1A receptor expression in the development and modulation of anxiety- and depression-related personality traits.
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Strobel, A., Gutknecht, L., Rothe, C. et al. Allelic variation in 5-HT1A receptor expression is associated with anxiety- and depression-related personality traits. J Neural Transm 110, 1445–1453 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-003-0072-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-003-0072-0