Dataset Information

Peering into the brain to predict behavior: Peer-reported, but not self-reported, conscientiousness links threat-related amygdala activity to future problem drinking.

ABSTRACT: Personality traits such as conscientiousness as self-reported by individuals can help predict a range of outcomes, from job performance to longevity. Asking others to rate the personality of their acquaintances often provides even better predictive power than using self-report. Here, we examine whether peer-reported personality can provide a better link between brain function, namely threat-related amygdala activity, and future health-related behavior, namely problem drinking, than self-reported personality. Using data from a sample of 377 young adult university students who were rated on five personality traits by peers, we find that higher threat-related amygdala activity to fearful facial expressions is associated with higher peer-reported, but not self-reported, conscientiousness. Moreover, higher peer-reported, but not self-reported, conscientiousness predicts lower future problem drinking more than one year later, an effect specific to men. Remarkably, relatively higher amygdala activity has an indirect effect on future drinking behavior in men, linked by peer-reported conscientiousness to lower future problem drinking. Our results provide initial evidence that the perceived conscientiousness of an individual by their peers uniquely reflects variability in a core neural mechanism supporting threat responsiveness. These novel patterns further suggest that incorporating peer-reported measures of personality into individual differences research can reveal novel predictive pathways of risk and protection for problem behaviors.

SUBMITTER: Swartz JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5321841 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Peering into the brain to predict behavior: Peer-reported, but not self-reported, conscientiousness links threat-related amygdala activity to future problem drinking.

Swartz Johnna R JR Knodt Annchen R AR Radtke Spenser R SR Hariri Ahmad R AR

NeuroImage 20161005

Personality traits such as conscientiousness as self-reported by individuals can help predict a range of outcomes, from job performance to longevity. Asking others to rate the personality of their acquaintances often provides even better predictive power than using self-report. Here, we examine whether peer-reported personality can provide a better link between brain function, namely threat-related amygdala activity, and future health-related behavior, namely problem drinking, than self-reported ...[more]

PMID: 27717769

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Project description:Purpose: Identification the biological response to fear and stress in both brain and blood is vital for investigators performing peripheral studies of psychiatric traits. The goal of this study was to determine genes responsive to fear conditioning (FC), a well-characterized rodent model of threat-exposure, in the presence or absence of prior stress history, providing insight into the physiological processes underlying traumatic memory formation and trauma-related disorders such as PTSD. Methods: RNA sequencing was performed in blood and amygdala from mice that underwent fear conditioning (FC) with and without prior immobilization stress history (Immo+FC), or untreated animals (home cage HC). Libraries were prepared using the Illumina TruSeq™ RNA kit as per manufacturer’s instructions. Libraries were normalized and 8 samples were multiplexed in each lane of the flowcell. PhiX was used as an internal control on each lane to monitor the error statistics. Cluster generation was performed on the V3 flowcell on the Illumina cBot. The clustered flowcell was then sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq1000 system employing a single-end 101 cycles run. Alignment to the mm10 UCSC Mouse Assembly was performed using STAR version 2.3 (Dobin et al, 2013); parameters were set using the annotation as a splice junction reference. Sample reads were assembled into transcript models using cufflinks (v2.1.1) which were then merged and processed with cuffdiff v2.1.1, (Trapnell et al, 2012) to produce per sample FPKM expression levels and estimate differential expression between the sample groups. Results: In the amygdala, 607 genes associated with FC vs. HC (FDR<.05). In the same tissue, 516 genes showed different expression in response of immobilization (Immo+FC) compared to the FC group (FDR<.05). In the blood of the same animals, 468 genes had distinct changes in expression (Immo+FC vs FC; FDR<.05) and were enriched for biological processes such as inflammation and cytokine signaling. Conclusions: This study identified genes and pathways that respond to threat in the amygdala and blood of animals with and without a prior stress history. Future studies will be needed to examine the necessity, function and relevance of these regulated genes in human clinical stress and trauma-related disorders including.

Dataset Information

Peering into the brain to predict behavior: Peer-reported, but not self-reported, conscientiousness links threat-related amygdala activity to future problem drinking.

Publications

Peering into the brain to predict behavior: Peer-reported, but not self-reported, conscientiousness links threat-related amygdala activity to future problem drinking.

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