Dopamine Transporter Density and Novelty Seeking Among Alcoholics

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate a putative association between the personality trait of novelty seeking (NS) and dopaminergic neuronal activity in the human brain.

Method: We studied the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) den -sity of 30 (18 early and 12 late-onset) alcoholics and 26 healthy con -trols with β-CIT ([¹²³I]-2-β-carbomethoxy-3-β-(4-iodophenyl)-tropane) and SPET (Single Photon Emission Tomography); personality traits were assessed with the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).

Results: DAT density correlated significantly with both NS (r = 0.46, p = 0.011) and age (r = 20.50, p = 0.005) in the alcoholics, generally. NS scores were higher in alcoholics with antisocial personality disorder (p = 0.004) than among other alcoholics.

Conclusion: Among alcoholics, NS correlated positively with DAT density, which is in line with Cloninger's theory concerning personality and character.

Key Words:

• Dopamine
• novelty seeking
• personality traits
• alcohol -ism
• neuroimaging
• tropanes