Examining the role of parental frightened/frightening subtypes in predicting disorganized attachment within a brief observational procedure.

Following Main and Hesse's hypothesis, several investigators have affirmed that frightened/frightening (FR) as well as particular atypical maternal behaviors are associated with infant disorganized and adult unresolved attachment. Here, for the first time, FR behavior was observed in (a) middle-class father-infant (n = 25) and independent mother-infant dyads (n = 50) and (b) a brief laboratory play session. In addition, relations between disorganization, unresolved attachment, and the six FR system subscales were explored.

Trait and state aspects of harm avoidance and its implication for treatment in major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and depressive personality disorder.

The authors evaluated the trait/state issues of harm avoidance in depressive-spectrum disorders and its predictive potential for antidepressant response. Subjects with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn; DSM-IV) major depressive disorder (n = 39), dysthymic disorder (n = 37), depressive personality disorder (n = 39), and healthy control subjects (n = 40) were evaluated with the Temperament and Character Inventory and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) at baseline and after a 12 week antidepressant treatment period. Higher harm avoidance scores predicted lesser improvement in subjects with dysthymic disorder and major depressive disorder, as determined by lesser decrease in HDRS-17 scores.

Relationship between personality trait and regional cerebral glucose metabolism assessed with positron emission tomography.

There have been no studies systematically investigating relationships between biogenetic temperament dimensions and patterns of brain glucose metabolism. Nineteen healthy subjects were evaluated regarding the biogenetic temperament using Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). In addition, [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure regional brain glucose metabolism.

Reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Temperament and Character Inventory.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), a self-report questionnaire based on Cloninger's biosocial model of personality. The TCI was translated into Korean and administered to 851 Korean college students. A test-retest study of the TCI was conducted across a 3-month interval with 130 subjects.