RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Midbrain Dopamine Receptor Availability Is Inversely Associated with Novelty-Seeking Traits in Humans
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 14372
OP 14378
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2423-08.2008
VO 28
IS 53
A1 David H. Zald
A1 Ronald L. Cowan
A1 Patrizia Riccardi
A1 Ronald M. Baldwin
A1 M. Sib Ansari
A1 Rui Li
A1 Evan S. Shelby
A1 Clarence E. Smith
A1 Maureen McHugo
A1 Robert M. Kessler
YR 2008
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/28/53/14372.abstract
AB Novelty-seeking personality traits are a major risk factor for the development of drug abuse and other unsafe behaviors. Rodent models of temperament indicate that high novelty responding is associated with decreased inhibitory autoreceptor control of midbrain dopamine neurons. It has been speculated that individual differences in dopamine functioning also underlie the personality trait of novelty seeking in humans. However, differences in the dopamine system of rodents and humans, as well as the methods for assessing novelty responding/seeking across species leave unclear to what extent the animal models inform our understanding of human personality. In the present study we examined the correlation between novelty-seeking traits in humans and D2-like (D2/D3) receptor availability in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area. Based on the rodent literature we predicted that novelty seeking would be characterized by lowered levels of D2-like (auto)receptor availability in the midbrain. Thirty-four healthy adults (18 men, 16 women) completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire-Novelty-Seeking Scale and PET scanning with the D2/D3 ligand [18F]fallypride. Novelty-Seeking personality traits were inversely associated with D2-like receptor availability in the ventral midbrain, an effect that remained significant after controlling for age. We speculate that the lower midbrain (auto)receptor availability seen in high novelty seekers leads to accentuated dopaminergic responses to novelty and other conditions that induce dopamine release.