THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BENZODIAZEPINE RECEPTOR SENSITIVITY AND NEUROTICISM

The possibility that differences in GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptor se nsitivity might contribute to the personality trait of neuroticism was assessed. We compared the effects of the benzodiazepine agonist, mida zolam, on saccadic eye movements and self-ratings of anxiety and sedat ion between two groups of volunteers with either low (less-than-or-equ al-to 4) or high (greater-than-or-equal-to 17) scores on the Neurotici sm (N) scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Baseline trait and state anxiety ratings were greater in the high-N subjects. Midazol am had a significantly smaller effect on saccade accuracy in the high- N compared with the low-N subjects, and produced a greater fall in anx iety ratings. The saccade data suggest that variations in the personal ity trait of neuroticism may be related to differences in the sensitiv ity of benzodiazepine receptors, and that these may also be implicated in nonpathological anxiety as well as clinical disorders.