scholarly journals A multilevel examination of lifetime aggression: integrating cortical thickness, personality pathology and trauma exposure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana E Sheehan ◽  
Nadia Bounoua ◽  
Rickie Miglin ◽  
Jeffrey M Spielberg ◽  
Naomi Sadeh
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Exposure Level ◽  
Pathological Personality Traits ◽  
Assaultive Trauma

Abstract Aggression represents a significant public health concern, causing serious physical and psychological harm. Although many studies have sought to characterize the etiology of aggression, research on the contributions of risk factors that span multiple levels of analysis for explaining aggressive behavior is lacking. To address this gap, we investigated the direct and unique contributions of cortical thickness (level 1), pathological personality traits (level 2) and trauma exposure (level 3) for explaining lifetime physical aggression in a high-risk sample of community adults (N = 129, 47.3% men). First, the frequency of lifetime aggression was inversely associated with cortical thickness in regions of prefrontal and temporal cortices that have been implicated in executive functioning, inhibitory mechanisms and socio-emotional processing. Further, aggression was positively associated with pathological personality traits (antagonism and disinhibition) and exposure to assaultive trauma. Notably, all three levels of analysis (cortical thickness, pathological personality traits and assaultive trauma exposure) explained non-overlapping variance in aggressive behavior when examined simultaneously in integrative models. Together, the findings provide a multilevel assessment of the biopsychosocial factors associated with the frequency of aggression. They also indicate that cortical thickness explains novel variance in these harmful behaviors not captured by well-established personality and environmental risk factors for aggression.

Childhood trauma moderates morphometric associations between orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala: implications for pathological personality traits

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Nadia Bounoua ◽  
Rickie Miglin ◽  
Jeffrey M. Spielberg ◽  
Curtis L. Johnson ◽  
Naomi Sadeh
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Pathological Personality Traits

Abstract Background Research has demonstrated that chronic stress exposure early in development can lead to detrimental alterations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)–amygdala circuit. However, the majority of this research uses functional neuroimaging methods, and thus the extent to which childhood trauma corresponds to morphometric alterations in this limbic-cortical network has not yet been investigated. This study had two primary objectives: (i) to test whether anatomical associations between OFC–amygdala differed between adults as a function of exposure to chronic childhood assaultive trauma and (ii) to test how these environment-by-neurobiological effects relate to pathological personality traits. Methods Participants were 137 ethnically diverse adults (48.1% female) recruited from the community who completed a clinical diagnostic interview, a self-report measure of pathological personality traits, and anatomical MRI scans. Results Findings revealed that childhood trauma moderated bilateral OFC–amygdala volumetric associations. Specifically, adults with childhood trauma exposure showed a positive association between medial OFC volume and amygdalar volume, whereas adults with no childhood exposure showed the negative OFC–amygdala structural association observed in prior research with healthy samples. Examination of the translational relevance of trauma-related alterations in OFC–amygdala volumetric associations for disordered personality traits revealed that trauma exposure moderated the association of OFC volume with antagonistic and disinhibited phenotypes, traits characteristic of Cluster B personality disorders. Conclusions The OFC–amygdala circuit is a potential anatomical pathway through which early traumatic experiences perpetuate emotional dysregulation into adulthood and confer risk for personality pathology. Results provide novel evidence of divergent neuroanatomical pathways to similar personality phenotypes depending on early trauma exposure.

scholarly journals Pathological Personality Traits (DSM-5), Risk Factors, and Mental Health

SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401772512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanesa C. Góngora ◽  
Alejandro Castro Solano
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Pathological Personality Traits

scholarly journals Incremental Role of Pathological Personality Traits in the Prediction of Suicidal Ideation in General and Psychiatric Inpatient Sample

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-363
Author(s):  
Viktorija Perepjolkina ◽  
Jeļena Ļubenko ◽  
Jeļena Koļesņikova ◽  
Kristīne Mārtinsone ◽  
Ainārs Stepens
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Support Interaction ◽  
Pathological Personality Traits

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the pathological personality traits in predicting suicidal ideation, especially in combination with other risk factors, such as the level of depression, prior attempts of suicide, low self-esteem, low level of perceived social support and self-esteem-by-social support interaction, both in general and in psychiatric inpatient samples. Data were analysed within two samples: non-clinical general sample (n = 461) and psychiatric inpatient sample (n = 131). Latvian Clinical Personality Inventory (LCPI) was used as the instrument for data collection. LCPI is a comprehensive multi-scale multi-item inventory, which consists of nine clinical scales (including Depression Symptom Scale), 33 pathological personality scales, five functioning scales, and five additional scales, including a Suicidal Ideation Scale, Low Self-esteem Scale and Lack of Perceived Social Support Scale. Results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that several facet-level pathological personality traits (depressivity, self-harm, dissociation proneness, submissiveness, and suspiciousness) added significant incremental variance to the prediction of suicidal ideation above and beyond the well-known main risk factors of suicidal ideation, such as depression and prior suicide attempt. This effect remained stable even after taking into account additional interpersonal risk factors, such as low self-esteem, low level of perceived social support and self-esteem-by-perceived social support interaction. The incremental effect of personality traits was medium in the psychiatric inpatient sample and small in the general sample. Findings of the study may assist in early screening for persons with suicide risk and for developing prevention programmes in different settings.

scholarly journals Addressing the Question of Disorder-Specific Risk Factors of Internet Addiction: A Comparison of Personality Traits in Patients with Addictive Behaviors and Comorbid Internet Addiction

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. W. Müller ◽  
A. Koch ◽  
U. Dickenhorst ◽  
M. E. Beutel ◽  
E. Duven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Alcohol Dependence ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Addictive Behaviors ◽  
Personality Profiles ◽  
Specific Risk

Uncontrolled use of the internet has been reported to affect the lives of some users in a negative way. According to epidemiological studies, about 1% of the general population is showing signs of internet addiction. Since internet addiction is becoming a growing health concern, research on potential risk factors is becoming more important in order to develop strategies for prevention and to adopt therapeutic treatment. Although there are some studies investigating personality traits in internet addiction, most of these studies are based on samples of healthy subjects. In this research project, we compared personality profiles of a sample of patients in different rehabilitation centers. 70 patients with an addiction disorder that additionally met the criteria for internet addiction were compared to 48 patients suffering from alcohol dependence. Besides Big Five personality traits, we also assessed depressive symptoms. It was shown that patients with comorbid internet addiction can be discriminated from other patients by higher neuroticism and lower extraversion as well as lower conscientiousness. After controlling for depressive symptoms, lower conscientiousness especially turned out to be a disorder-specific risk factor. As internet addiction is related to unique patterns of personality traits and can be discriminated from alcohol dependence, treatment approaches are needed that meet the specific requirements of patients with internet addiction.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in the Psychological Sciences

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Shero ◽  
Sara Ann Hart
Keyword(s):  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Latent Variable ◽  
Organizational Management ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Component Skills ◽  
Using Data

Using methods like linear regression or latent variable models, researchers are often interested in maximizing explained variance and identifying the importance of specific variables within their models. These models are useful for understanding general ideas and trends, but often give limited insight into the individuals within said models. Data envelopment analysis (DEA), is a method with roots in organizational management that make such insights possible. Unlike models mentioned above, DEA does not explain variance. Instead, it explains how efficiently an individual utilizes their inputs to produce outputs, and identifies which input is not being utilized optimally. This paper provides readers with a brief history and past usages of DEA from organizational management, public health, and educational administration fields, while also describing the underlying math and processes behind said model. This paper then extends the usage of this method into the psychology field using two separate studies. First, using data from the Project KIDS dataset, DEA is demonstrated using a simple view of reading framework identifying individual efficiency levels in using reading-based skills to achieve reading comprehension, determining which skills are being underutilized, and classifying and comparing new subsets of readers. Three new subsets of readers were identified using this method, with direct implications leading to more targeted interventions. Second, DEA was used to measure individuals’ efficiency in regulating aggressive behavior given specific personality traits or related skills. This study found that despite comparable levels of component skills and personality traits, significant differences were found in efficiency to regulate aggressive behavior on the basis of gender and feelings of provocation.

scholarly journals An fMRI investigation of the relations between Extraversion, internalizing psychopathology, and neural activation following reward receipt in the Human Connectome Project sample

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtland S. Hyatt ◽  
Emily S. Hallowell ◽  
Max M. Owens ◽  
Brandon M. Weiss ◽  
Lawrence H. Sweet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Internalizing Psychopathology ◽  
Human Connectome Project

Abstract Quantitative models of psychopathology (i.e., HiTOP) propose that personality and psychopathology are intertwined, such that the various processes that characterize personality traits may be useful in describing and predicting manifestations of psychopathology. In the current study, we used data from the Human Connectome Project (N = 1050) to investigate neural activation following receipt of a reward during an fMRI task as one shared mechanism that may be related to the personality trait Extraversion (specifically its sub-component Agentic Extraversion) and internalizing psychopathology. We also conducted exploratory analyses on the links between neural activation following reward receipt and the other Five-Factor Model personality traits, as well as separate analyses by gender. No significant relations (p < .005) were observed between any personality trait or index of psychopathology and neural activation following reward receipt, and most effect sizes were null to very small in nature (i.e., r < |.05|). We conclude by discussing the appropriate interpretation of these null findings, and provide suggestions for future research that spans psychological and neurobiological levels of analysis.

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