NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE SEROTONIN TRANSPORTER GENE REGULATORY REGION POLYMORPHISM AND THE TRIDIMENSIONAL PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE (TPQ)TEMPERAMENT OF HARM AVOIDANCE

A functional polymorphism in the upstream regulatory region of the ser otonin transporter gene has been recently reported to be associated wi th anxiety-related traits assessed by the NEO-PI-R. Individuals both h etero- and homozygous for the short form of a highly repetitive regula tory element in this gene have significantly higher neuroticism scores . We have attempted to replicate these findings in a normal cohort of 120 individuals, whom we have previously examined for association betw een personality dimensions and other serotonergic and dopaminergic rec eptor polymorphisms. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ ) was used to assess personality dimensions in this cohort. No associa tion was observed in the present study between individuals grouped by the long and short form of the transporter gene and any of the persona lity dimensions measured by the TPQ including Harm Avoidance, which in corporates many aspects of anxiety and is correlated with NEO-PI-R Neu roticism.