THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BENZODIAZEPINE RECEPTOR SENSITIVITY AND NEUROTICISM

The possibility that differences in GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptor sensitivity might contribute to the personality trait of neuroticism was assessed. We compared the effects of the benzodiazepine agonist, midazolam, on saccadic eye movements and self-ratings of anxiety and sedation between two groups of volunteers with either low (less-than-or-equal-to 4) or high (greater-than-or-equal-to 17) scores on the Neuroticism (N) scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Baseline trait and state anxiety ratings were greater in the high-N subjects. Midazolam had a significantly smaller effect on saccade accuracy in the high-N compared with the low-N subjects, and produced a greater fall in anxiety ratings. The saccade data suggest that variations in the personality trait of neuroticism may be related to differences in the sensitivity of benzodiazepine receptors, and that these may also be implicated in nonpathological anxiety as well as clinical disorders.