Does Spinal Cord Injury Affect Personality? A Study of Monozygotic Twins

ABSTRACT. Objective: To assess whether spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with personality change. Study Design: NEO Personality Inventory-Revised results of identical twins, one of whom had a spinal cord injury, were compared. Setting: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York. Participants: Eleven sets of twins recruited through a nationwide search involving advertisements in periodicals and referrals from other professionals. Results: There were no significant differences between the scores of the non-SCI twins and their injured co-twins on NEO Personality Inventory scales and facets. Conclusions: The authors found no evidence that SCI is associated with long-term personality change.