Genetic polymorphisms and personality in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

M. R. Munafò; T. G. Clark; L. R. Moore; E. Payne; R. Walton; J. Flint

doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001326

Genetic polymorphisms and personality in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

M. R. Munafò, T. G. Clark, L. R. Moore, E. Payne, R. Walton, J. Flint

Vice Chancellor's Office

University of Oxford

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

303 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

A meta-analysis was conducted on studies reporting data on associations between candidate genes and human personality. Studies reporting data for psychiatric populations (including organic disease and substance abuse) were excluded. A total of 46 studies contributed to the analysis. Pooled data using a fixed-effects model suggested significant associations between the 5HTT LPR, DRD4 c>t, DRD4 length, DRD2 A1/A2, DRD3 A1/A2 polymorphisms and personality traits. A multivariate analysis using a mixed-effects model and including age, sex and predominant ethnicity as covariates was applied to the analyses of 5HTT LPR and DRD4 length polymorphism data. Only the association between the 5HTT LPR polymorphism and avoidance traits remained significant (P=0.038). However, sensitivity analyses excluding data from studies reporting allele frequencies not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and unpublished data resulted in this association no longer being significant. Implications for the design of future association studies of human personality are discussed, including the likely sample sizes that will be required to achieve sufficient power and the potential role of moderating variables such as sex.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	471-484
Number of pages	14
Journal	Molecular Psychiatry
Volume	8
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001326
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2003

Acknowledgements

We thank the several study authors (Claiton Bau, David Comings, Carlos Cruz, Ian Deary and Gerry Fowkes, Jesper Ekelund, Joel Gelertner, Shirley Hill, Erik Jönsson, Maj-Liz Persson, Michael Pouge-Geile and Alex Strobel) who entered into what were often lengthy and detailed personal communications in order to ensure the comprehensiveness of this study. We also thank Mike Murphy and Elaine Johnstone for their helpful advice in the preparation of this manuscript and comments on the earlier drafts. Marcus Munafò is funded by a Cancer Research UK Research Fellowship. Taane Clark is funded by a NHS R&D Research Training Fellowship. Jonathan Flint is supported by the Wellcome Trust.

Keywords

Dopamine
Genetics
Meta-analysis
Personality
Polymorphism
Serotonin

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Molecular Biology
Psychiatry and Mental health
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/sj.mp.4001326

Cite this

@article{710b375dbf054735b58200965e252f2b,

title = "Genetic polymorphisms and personality in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis",

abstract = "A meta-analysis was conducted on studies reporting data on associations between candidate genes and human personality. Studies reporting data for psychiatric populations (including organic disease and substance abuse) were excluded. A total of 46 studies contributed to the analysis. Pooled data using a fixed-effects model suggested significant associations between the 5HTT LPR, DRD4 c>t, DRD4 length, DRD2 A1/A2, DRD3 A1/A2 polymorphisms and personality traits. A multivariate analysis using a mixed-effects model and including age, sex and predominant ethnicity as covariates was applied to the analyses of 5HTT LPR and DRD4 length polymorphism data. Only the association between the 5HTT LPR polymorphism and avoidance traits remained significant (P=0.038). However, sensitivity analyses excluding data from studies reporting allele frequencies not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and unpublished data resulted in this association no longer being significant. Implications for the design of future association studies of human personality are discussed, including the likely sample sizes that will be required to achieve sufficient power and the potential role of moderating variables such as sex.",

keywords = "Dopamine, Genetics, Meta-analysis, Personality, Polymorphism, Serotonin",

author = "Munaf{\`o}, {M. R.} and Clark, {T. G.} and Moore, {L. R.} and E. Payne and R. Walton and J. Flint",

year = "2003",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/sj.mp.4001326",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "471--484",

journal = "Molecular Psychiatry",

issn = "1359-4184",

publisher = "Springer Nature",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Genetic polymorphisms and personality in healthy adults

T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis

AU - Munafò, M. R.

AU - Clark, T. G.

AU - Moore, L. R.

AU - Payne, E.

AU - Walton, R.

AU - Flint, J.

PY - 2003/5/1

Y1 - 2003/5/1

N2 - A meta-analysis was conducted on studies reporting data on associations between candidate genes and human personality. Studies reporting data for psychiatric populations (including organic disease and substance abuse) were excluded. A total of 46 studies contributed to the analysis. Pooled data using a fixed-effects model suggested significant associations between the 5HTT LPR, DRD4 c>t, DRD4 length, DRD2 A1/A2, DRD3 A1/A2 polymorphisms and personality traits. A multivariate analysis using a mixed-effects model and including age, sex and predominant ethnicity as covariates was applied to the analyses of 5HTT LPR and DRD4 length polymorphism data. Only the association between the 5HTT LPR polymorphism and avoidance traits remained significant (P=0.038). However, sensitivity analyses excluding data from studies reporting allele frequencies not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and unpublished data resulted in this association no longer being significant. Implications for the design of future association studies of human personality are discussed, including the likely sample sizes that will be required to achieve sufficient power and the potential role of moderating variables such as sex.

AB - A meta-analysis was conducted on studies reporting data on associations between candidate genes and human personality. Studies reporting data for psychiatric populations (including organic disease and substance abuse) were excluded. A total of 46 studies contributed to the analysis. Pooled data using a fixed-effects model suggested significant associations between the 5HTT LPR, DRD4 c>t, DRD4 length, DRD2 A1/A2, DRD3 A1/A2 polymorphisms and personality traits. A multivariate analysis using a mixed-effects model and including age, sex and predominant ethnicity as covariates was applied to the analyses of 5HTT LPR and DRD4 length polymorphism data. Only the association between the 5HTT LPR polymorphism and avoidance traits remained significant (P=0.038). However, sensitivity analyses excluding data from studies reporting allele frequencies not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and unpublished data resulted in this association no longer being significant. Implications for the design of future association studies of human personality are discussed, including the likely sample sizes that will be required to achieve sufficient power and the potential role of moderating variables such as sex.

KW - Dopamine

KW - Genetics

KW - Meta-analysis

KW - Personality

KW - Polymorphism

KW - Serotonin

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0038235924&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/sj.mp.4001326

DO - 10.1038/sj.mp.4001326

M3 - Review article

C2 - 12808427

AN - SCOPUS:0038235924

SN - 1359-4184

VL - 8

SP - 471

EP - 484

JO - Molecular Psychiatry

JF - Molecular Psychiatry

IS - 5

ER -

Genetic polymorphisms and personality in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this