Hypnotic Susceptibility: Multidimensional Relationships With Cloninger?s Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, COMT Polymorphisms, Absorption, and Attentional Characteristics

Abstract

One hundred and seven healthy volunteers were administered Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), the Differential Attentional Processes Inventory (DAPI), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS), and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C). Polymorphisms of catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme involved in dopamine metabolism, were assessed. Highly hypnotizable subjects self-reported greater TPQ persistence, absorption, and focused attentional abilities. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses found that TPQ persistence, COMT, TAS, and the DAPI attentional scales explained 43.8% of the variance in women and 29% in men. Membership was correctly discriminated for the more extreme low (62.1%) and highly (81.5%) hypnotizable groups. These results suggest that highly hypnotizable persons have a more effective frontolimbic attentional system and further suggest the involvement of dopaminergic systems in hypnotizability.

Oxytocin and Cortisol in the Hypnotic Interaction1

“…Just like one of our earlier studies (Szekely et al, 2010), several other investigations described the association between hypnotizability and COMT, the dopamine-degrading enzyme (catechol-O-methyltransferase) (see Lichtenberg, Bachner-Melman, Ebstein, and Crawford (2004);Lichtenberg, Bachner-Melman, Gritsenko, and Ebstein (2000); Raz (2005) ;Raz, Fan, and Posner, (2006)). …”

The molecular genetic architecture of human personality: beyond self-report questionnaires

“…Based on the pivotal role ascribed to the prefrontal executive control network for absorbed attention and positive symptoms in schizophrenia, it was further hypothesized that Absorption is associated with the COMT val158met polymorphism affecting the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system. (Interestingly, we have observed association between hypnotizability and the COMT gene 169,170 .) In the Ott et al study, 167 the group with the T/T genotype of the HTR2A T102C polymorphism had significantly higher Absorption scores while no main effect was found for the COMT polymorphism.…”

Genetic-linked Inattentiveness Protects Individuals from Internet Overuse: A Genetic Study of Internet Overuse Evaluating Hypotheses Based on Addiction, Inattention, Novelty-seeking and Harm-avoidance

“…Strong evidence emerged from existing studies that the polymorphisms in DRD4, DRD2 and 5-HTTLPR were not connected to novelty-seeking personality (Burt, McGue, Iacono, Comings, & MacMurray, 2002;de Brettes et al, 1998;Ebstein, 2006;Ebstein et al, 1997;Hill, Zezza, Wipprecht, Locke, & Neiswanger, 1999;Kluger, Siegfried, & Ebstein, 2002;Kreek, Nielsen, Butelman, & LaForge, 2005; S. H. Lee, Ham, Cho, Lee, & Shim, 2007;Light et al, 2007;Munafò et al, 2003;Ricketts et al, 1998;Samochowiec et al, 2001;Schinka, Letsch, & Crawford, 2002;Suzuki et al, 2008;Tsuchimine et al, 2012;Van Gestel et al, 2002). In contrast, studies on COMT polymorphism revealed mixed and conflicting results (Calati et al, 2011;Demetrovics et al, 2010;Golimbet, Alfimova, Gritsenko, & Ebstein, 2007;Hashimoto et al, 2007;Hosák, Libiger, Cizek, Beránek, & Cermáková, 2006;Hoth et al, 2006;Kim, Kim, Kim, Lee, & Kim, 2006;Lichtenberg, Bachner-Melman, Ebstein, & Crawford, 2004;Light et al, 2007;Reuter & Hennig, 2005; S.-J. Tsai, Hong, Yu, & Chen, 2004).…”

“…Individuals with greater harm-avoidance or lesser risk-taking personality tend to be cautious, fearful, nervous, discouraged, doubtful, inhibited, and shy in most social situations (Kose, 2003). Studies on the DRD4, DRD2 and COMT polymorphisms revealed mixed and conflicting results (Bau, Roman, Almeida, & Hutz, 1999;Dreber et al, 2009;Enoch, Xu, Ferro, Harris, & Goldman, 2003;Golimbet et al, 2007;Hashimoto et al, 2007;Hill et al, 1999;Kim et al, 2006;Kuhnen & Chiao, 2009;Lichtenberg et al, 2004;Light et al, 2007;Munafò et al, 2003;Smolka et al, 2005;Tsai et al, 2004;Tsuchimine et al, 2012). Meta-analyses and review studies indicated that there was no connection between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and harm-avoidance personality (Ebstein, 2006;Munafò et al, 2009;Schinka, Busch, & RobichauxKeene, 2004;Sen, Burmeister, & Ghosh, 2004).…”