Personality traits in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 2

Teodora Paunic 1, Stojan Peric 2, Aleksandra Parojcic 2, Dusanka Savic-Pavicevic 3, Milorad Vujnic 4, Jovan Pesovic 3, Ivana Basta 2, Dragana Lavrnic 2 and Vidosava Rakocevic-Stojanovic 2

1 General Hospital Djordje Joanovic, Zrenjanin, Serbia; 2 Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 3 Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 4 Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a multisystem disorder that affects many organs and systems, including the brain. The objective is to analyze personality patterns in myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) compared to DM1 control group. The study comprised 27 consecutive genetically confirmed DM2 patients and control group of 44 DM1 patients. Personality traits were assessed with the Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory III (MMCI III). In DM2 group there were no scale with pathological scores, although compulsive and paranoid traits were the most prominent. DM2 patients had lower scores compared to DM1 patients in almost all scales. Pathological scores on clinical symptom scales were not observed, although anxiety scale almost approached this value. Patients with higher compulsive score had higher level of education (rho = +0.53, p < 0.01). On the other hand, higher paranoid score correlated with younger age at onset (rho = -0.34, p < 0.01) and lower educational level (rho = -0.26, p < 0.05). Our results did not show significant personality impairments in patients with DM2. However, following personality traits were predominant: compulsive (in patients with higher education) and paranoid (in patients with lower education and earlier age at onset). The most common clinical symptoms were anxiety and somatization.

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