Livesley W J, Jang K L, Vernon P A
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998 Oct;55(10):941-8. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.55.10.941.
The evidence suggests that personality traits are hierarchically organized with more specific or lower-order traits combining to form more generalized higher-order traits. Agreement exists across studies regarding the lower-order traits that delineate personality disorder but not the higher-order traits. This study seeks to identify the higher-order structure of personality disorder by examining the phenotypic and genetic structures underlying lower-order traits.
Eighteen lower-order traits were assessed using the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Disorder-Basic Questionnaire in samples of 656 personality disordered patients, 939 general population subjects, and a volunteer sample of 686 twin pairs.
Principal components analysis yielded 4 components, labeled Emotional Dysregulation, Dissocial Behavior, Inhibitedness, and Compulsivity, that were similar across the 3 samples. Multivariate genetic analyses also yielded 4 genetic and environmental factors that were remarkably similar to the phenotypic factors. Analysis of the residual heritability of the lower-order traits when the effects of the higher-order factors were removed revealed a substantial residual heritable component for 12 of the 18 traits.
The results support the following conclusions. First, the stable structure of traits across clinical and nonclinical samples is consistent with dimensional representations of personality disorders. Second, the higher-order traits of personality disorder strongly resemble dimensions of normal personality. This implies that a dimensional classification should be compatible with normative personality. Third, the residual heritability of the lower-order traits suggests that the personality phenotypes are based on a large number of specific genetic components.
有证据表明，人格特质是分层组织的，更具体或更低阶的特质结合形成更普遍的高阶特质。关于界定人格障碍的低阶特质，各项研究达成了共识，但对于高阶特质却并非如此。本研究旨在通过检查低阶特质背后的表型和遗传结构，来确定人格障碍的高阶结构。
使用人格障碍维度评估基本问卷，对656名患有人格障碍的患者、939名普通人群受试者以及686对双胞胎志愿者样本进行了18种低阶特质的评估。
主成分分析得出了4个成分，分别标记为情绪失调、反社会行为、抑制性和强迫性，这4个成分在3个样本中相似。多变量遗传分析也得出了4个遗传和环境因素，与表型因素非常相似。在去除高阶因素的影响后，对低阶特质的剩余遗传度分析显示，18种特质中有12种存在大量的剩余可遗传成分。
结果支持以下结论。第一，临床和非临床样本中特质的稳定结构与人格障碍的维度表示一致。第二，人格障碍的高阶特质与正常人格维度极为相似。这意味着维度分类应与规范人格兼容。第三，低阶特质的剩余遗传度表明，人格表型基于大量特定的遗传成分。
