Personality, psychopathology, and the neurotransmitter attributes questionnaire (NAQ)

Abstract

In this study, 901 participants completed an anonymous Internet-based survey, including a new instrument, the Neurotransmitter Attributes Questionnaire (NAQ), indicating possible dysfunction of the serotonergic or dopaminergic circuits. NAQ items were derived from questions prescribing professionals commonly ask new patients whose symptoms call for psychopharmacological treatments, sometimes in combination with psychosocial interventions. Rasch modeling was used to establish item quality, subscale reliability, and unidimensionality. In addition, the items in each subscale were found reliable when judged by three blind raters who were experienced psychopharmacologists. Standard measures of mental disorders and self-reported diagnoses were used to validate the NAQ subscales. These questions that form the subscales on the NAQ may be helpful when determining the class of medication likely to be most effective. Variations in mood and anxiety-disordered patients call for a case-specific approach to pharmacological treatment. Some patients are best helped by serotonergic agonists, others have a better outcome from treatment with dopaminergic agonists, and some patients seem to be best served by a combination of both. The NAQ was designed to aid decision-making early in treatment, potentially leading to greater compliance and better outcome. The NAQ may be used to standardize protocols in outcome research, and in addition, it may provide a new perspective on personality studies. © The Author(s) 2013.