Adhesio Interthalamica and Personality Traits

Abstract

The absence of adhesio interthalamica (AI) is a structural brain feature established during initial embryonic development that has been associated with the presence of some dopamine-dependent pathologies, such as bipolarity, schizophrenia and depression. However, it remains unclear how this abnormality affects healthy subjects. We herein propose that the presence of this feature is associated with personality traits related with dopamine. Using 68 structural MRI scans of healthy males, this study analysed the relationship between this structure and the personality traits scores obtained using BIS/BAS, SPSRQ and NEO-PI. The results show a percentage of AI absence in 36.76% of the healthy controls, and an association of AI absence with higher BIS scale scores, and also with lower Sensitivity to Reward and NEO-E scale scores. In short, lack of AI is associated with the presence of personality traits related with dopaminergic levels in the brain, and may also be associated with the presence of anxiety traits.