Personality traits ‘reflected by changes in brain structure’

New research has indicated that the shape of a person's brain reflects differences in their personalities.

The University of Cambridge study analysed a brain imaging dataset from more than 500 individuals to assess differences in cortical anatomy and how these measurements related to the Big Five personality traits – neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.

It was shown that high levels of neuroticism were associated with increased thickness and reduced area and folding in some regions of the cortex, including the prefrontal-temporal cortices at the front of the brain. By contrast, openness was associated with the opposite pattern.

These trends support the idea that personality is associated with brain maturation to at least some degree, suggesting that personal characteristics can be linked to biological or genetic factors.

Such differences in brain structure and personality traits may be even more pronounced in people who are more likely to experience neuropsychiatric illnesses.

Dr Luca Passamonti, from the department of clinical neurosciences at the University of Cambridge, said: "Linking how brain structure is related to basic personality traits is a crucial step to improving our understanding of the link between the brain morphology and particular mood, cognitive or behavioural disorders."

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