Neuroanatomical Correlates of Temperament in Early Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 223268
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 47 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2008 Pages: 682-693
• Author(s): Sarah Whittle Ph.D.; Murat Yucel Ph.D.; Alex Fornito Ph.D.; Anna Barrett B.A.; Stephen J. Wood Ph.D.; Dan I. Lubman Ph.D.; Julian Simmons B.Sc.; Christos Pantelis M.D.; Nicholas B. Allen Ph.D.
• Date Published: June 2008
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): I.D. 350241
• Sponsoring Agency: National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC); Colonial Foundation
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the association between 4 core temperament dimensions and anatomically defined regions of the limbic and prefrontal cortices in 153 healthy early adolescents (mean age of 12.6 years).

Abstract

The findings provide support for a neuroanatomical basis for individual differences in temperament, defined as enduring behavioral characteristics that underlie individual differences in behavioral responses, including risk for psychopathology. Researchers found that regional brain volumes accounted for small but significant amounts of the variance in self-reported temperament scores. Higher "effortful control" (ability to direct attention and regulate emotion and behavior) was associated with larger volume of the left orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus. Higher "negative affectivity" (expressed and felt frustration/anger in response to limitations) was associated with smaller volume of the left dorsal paralimbic relative to limbic portion of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Higher "affiliativeness" (the desire for closeness with others and the tendency to notice and experience pleasure from low-intensity stimuli) was associated with larger volume of the right rostral/ventral limbic portion of the ACC. Affiliativeness and "surgency" (tendency to seek out and enjoy intense experiences, together with lack of shyness and fear) also showed a number of female-specific associations, primarily involving the rostral/ventral ACC. The study used a cross-sectional design in examining a large sample (n=153) of healthy early adolescents who were selected from a larger sample to maximize variation in temperament. The main outcome measures were psychometric measures of temperament based on the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised, and volumetric measures of a priori brain regions of interest. 6 tables, 2 figures, and 82 references