Clinical trial NCT00001414: Mapping Personality Traits to Genes
Official title: Mapping Personality Traits to Genes
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Mental Disorder
Keywords: Behavior Genetics
Normal Personality
Intelligence
Siblings
Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire
NEO-Personality Inventory (Revised)
X-Chromosome
Lead sponsor: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 1999-11-04
Enrollment: 2400
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary: Previous research involving families, twins, and adoption all support the idea that there is a substantial heritable aspect to personality.

The goal of this research study is to determine how genetics influence heritable personality traits. The work will focus on how genetics affect the chemical messengers which brain cells use to communicate with each other (neurotransmitters).

The study involves collecting personality data and DNA samples from related individuals, primarily male siblings and female siblings, but also including parents. Genetic tests performed on these samples will continue to focus on variations in genes, which potentially effect brain neurotransmission.

This research has the potential to advance knowledge of genetic influences on human behavior that may be relevant both to normal personality and to psychopathology.

Detailed description: Building on family, twin and adoption studies suggesting that substantial aspects of personality are heritable, research under this protocol explores potential genetic influences on normal personality dimensions. We have previously reported associations between variation in neurotransmitter system genes and variation in personality traits, both across and within families, in a sample of the general population. This study involves collecting personality data and DNA samples from related individuals, primarily male siblings and female siblings, but also including parents. Genetic tests performed on these samples will continue to focus on variations in genes, which potentially affect brain neurotransmission. In some cases, participants are recontacted to specifically investigate whether identified variations in neurotransmitter system genes actually affect neurotransmission. Large population samples are needed in this research, particularly since a new epidemiologically standard population sample will be obtained. This research has the potential to advance knowledge of genetic influences on human behavior that may be relevant both to normal personality and to psychopathology.

Eligibility criteria: Personality data and DNA samples will be collected from related individuals, primarily pairs of male and pairs of female siblings, but also including parents.

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Bethesda
country: United States
facility: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
state: Maryland
Study officials:
References:
citation: Ahern FM, Johnson RC, Wilson JR, McClearn GE, Vandenberg SG. Family resemblances in personality. Behav Genet. 1982 May;12(3):261-80. doi: 10.1007/BF01067847. No abstract available.
citation: Amos CI, Elston RC, Wilson AF, Bailey-Wilson JE. A more powerful robust sib-pair test of linkage for quantitative traits. Genet Epidemiol. 1989;6(3):435-49. doi: 10.1002/gepi.1370060306.
citation: Benjamin J, Li L, Patterson C, Greenberg BD, Murphy DL, Hamer DH. Population and familial association between the D4 dopamine receptor gene and measures of Novelty Seeking. Nat Genet. 1996 Jan;12(1):81-4. doi: 10.1038/ng0196-81. No abstract available.