Relationship between the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response and Extraversion, Impulsivity, and Sociability

Personality traits and its association with resting regional brain activity

“…Studies have shown faster brainstem transmission is associated with adult introversion (Andress and Church, 1981). The faster brainstem transmission in introverted personalities could be a reflection of increased arousal in the ascending reticular activating system that is, higher levels of brainstem arousal (Bullock and Gilliand, 1993;Matthews and Gilliland, 1999;Swickert and Gilliand, 1998).…”

An event-related potential analysis of extraversion and individual differences in cognitive processing speed and response execution.

“…The faster initiation of movement for extraverts appears as a robust effect that is consistent with their self and social descriptions and with controlled observation of differences between introverts and extraverts in their expression of motor activity. The view that differences in extraversion are determined primarily by central cortical arousal mechanisms (Eysenck, 1967) was challenged by evidence that differences in the extraversion trait may involve peripheral brainstem (Stelmack & Wilson, 1982; Swickert & Gilliland, 1998) and spinal motoneuronal processes (Stelmack & Pivik, 1996). The outcome of this study also highlights the contribution of peripheral, motor processes to variation in extraversion.…”

“…These effects also appear consistent with the disposition of extraverts to greater spontaneity, social disinhibition, impulsiveness (Barratt & Patton, 1983; Eysenck & Eysenck, 1991; Newman, 1987), and general physical activity compared with introverts (Eysenck, Nias, & Cox, 1982). Moreover, there is some evidence that both the sensory and motor processes that characterize individual differences in extraversion can be referred to peripheral levels of the nervous system (Swickert & Gilliland, 1998; Stelmack & Pivik, 1996; Stelmack & Wilson, 1982). In the present article, we pursue this line of inquiry into the biological bases of extraversion by reporting an ERP analysis that explored the cognitive and motor processes that have been implicated in individual differences in the extraversion trait.…”

No changes in event-related potentials with estrogen or estrogen plus progesterone treatment in healthy older hysterectomized women: results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study

“…Auditory brainstem potentials can be regarded as an indirect measure of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS, Swickert and Gilliland 1998). Generally, a shortening of the peak latencies of the auditory brainstem potentials is correlated with a better performance in such tasks, which benefit from an improvement in ARAS-regulated arousal, and vice versa.…”