Psychobiological personality traits as endophenotype of anorexia nervosa

Personality traits, especially temperamental dimensions, which show high genetic loading, might be considered factors predisposing to psychiatric disorders. The strategy of endophenotypes - constructs with genetic background less complex than clinical syndromes, such as anorexia nervosa - might be used to reduce the heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders. The psychobiological model of personality comprises four dimensions of temperament - Novelty seeking, Harm avoidance, Reward dependence and Persistence. Patients with anorexia nervosa score in two of them - Harm avoidance and Persistence - higher than matched controls from the general population. The above temperamental dimensions also meet, with regard to anorexia nervosa, several other criteria required for endophenotypic traits. Enrichment of phenotype description of anorexia nervosa with personality traits may facilitate study of the genetic background of this disorder.