Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale (ANPS) and clinical implications: A systematic review

Affective neuroscience (AN) theory assumes the existence of seven basic emotional systems (i.e., SEEKING, ANGER, FEAR, CARE, LUST, SADNESS, PLAY) that are common to all mammals and evolutionarily determined to be tools for survival and, in general, for fitness. Based on the AN approach, the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS) questionnaire was developed to examine individual differences in the defined basic emotional systems. The current systematic review aims to examine the use of ANPS in clinical contexts attempting to define those behavioral elements associated with underlying stable personality traits. The systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA statements. PubMed and PsycInfo were used for research literature from March 2003 to November 2021. Forty-four studies including ANPS were identified from 1763 studies reviewed. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The review comprised some papers with incomplete psychological assessments (e.g., lack of other measures in addition to the ANPS) and missing information (e.g., on the [sub]samples), which may affect the generalizability of findings. Specific endophenotypes and/or patterns of emotional/motivational systems were found for several mental disorders. Specifically, endophenotypes emerged for the Depressive and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Borderline and Avoidant Personality Disorders, type I and II Bipolar Disorders, and the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The endophenotypes can provide useful reflective elements for both psychodiagnosis and intervention. Overall, the current study may represent an attempt to contribute to the understanding of the basic emotional systems involved in the psychopathological manifestations identified by AN. • Major Depressive Disorder was associated with a pattern characterized by high SADNESS, FEAR, and ANGER scores and low PLAY and SEEKING scores. • The SADNESS scale appeared to be the most informative dimension for depressive disorders and was positively related not only to MDD but also to the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. • Autism Spectrum Disorders seemed to be described by high FEAR scores and by low PLAY scores, which seems to be the most important predictor for this disorder. • Bipolar Disorder Type I was associated with the SADNESS scale, whereas the ANGER dimension was positively associated with Bipolar Disorder Type II. • Specific endophenotypes and/or patterns of emotional/motivational systems were observed for other mental disorders.