%0 Journal Article
%T The Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Personality
%A Christian Montag
%J Advances in Biology
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/719723
%X The study of the biological basis of personality is a timely research endeavor, with the aim of deepening our understanding of human nature. In recent years, a growing body of research has investigated the role of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the context of individual differences across human beings, with a focus on personality traits. A large number of different approaches have been chosen to illuminate the role of BDNF for personality, ranging from the measurement of BDNF in the serum/plasma to molecular genetics to (genetic) brain imaging. The present review provides the reader with an overview of the current state of affairs in the context of BDNF and personality. 1. What Is Personality? 1.1. Why Study Human Personality? The study of the individual differences of humans is as old as mankind. The first Greek philosophers, such as Hippocrates, were interested in finding an answer to the question of why humans differ. According to Hippocrates, the essence of individuality was found in four bodily fluids; for example, black bile was associated with a melancholic personality structure [1, 2]. Since then, generations of scientists have strived to shed light on human personality. Beyond the scientist¡¯s pure curiosity in this topic, the study of personality yields important insights into the nature of humans. Here, it has been put forward that an understanding of the healthy aspects of personality must inform the understanding of psychopathological conditions, because the latter are much harder to study given imbalances, for example, in the neurotransmitter systems of humans (e.g., [3, 4]). Many personality traits, such as neuroticism, are known to be of large importance for public health outcomes [5]. Therefore, an understanding of personality is also a key to disentangling the complex nature of psychopathology. 1.2. A Short Definition of Personality Definitions of personality are numerous in the literature (e.g., [6¨C8]). In my opinion, the most common denominator among these definitions represents the concept of ¡°traits,¡± referring to the stability of personality dimensions, such as being cooperative or curious over long time periods across the lifespan. These personality characteristics influence the way a person thinks, behaves, and reacts emotionally towards a large number of environmental stimuli [6]. Of note, and for a better understanding of the above introduced term ¡°traits,¡± it needs to be mentioned that in some situations a person will always show a particular emotional reaction such as being sad, for example, when a beloved
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ab/2014/719723/