Hypnotic susceptibility: Multidimensional relationships with Cloniger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, COMT polymorphisms, absorption, and attentional characteristics

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Jul 2004 by Hammond, D Corydon

Lichtenberg, P., Bachner-Melman, R., Ebstein, R. P., & Crawford, H. J. (2004). Hypnotic susceptibility: Multidimensional relationships with Cloniger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, COMT polymorphisms, absorption, and attentional characteristics. International Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis, 52(1), 47-72.

Cloniger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), the Differential Attentional Processes Inventory (DAPI), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS), and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C were administered to 170 healthy volunteers. An enzyme involved in dopamine metabolism (polymorphisms of catechol O-methyltransferase [COMT]) was also evaluated. It was found that TPQ persistence, COMT, TAS and the DAPI attentional scales accounted for 43.8% of the variance in women and 29% in men. Membership in extremely low and highly hypnotizable groups were correctly discriminated in 62.1% of lows and 81.5% of highs. Results suggest that high hypnotizables possess a more effective frontolimbic attentional system and suggest the involvement of dopaminergic systems in hypnotizability. Dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems have been implicated before in attentional abilities. Address for reprints: Pesach Lichtenberg, M.D., S. Herzog Memorial Hospital, and Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. E-mail: licht@cc.huji.ac.il.