To test correlation to personality of arterial blood pressure (BP) increase in a cognitive task, 26 healthy subjects (19-33 yrs; 10 males; 16 females) were asked to repeat for 90 s numbers in inverse order, while BP was continuously recorded by Finapres. Systolic (BPs) diastolic (BPd) mean (BPm) and pulse (BPp) values, and their changes (D) from rest, were assessed at peak response and 30 s recovery (Rec). Psychological assessment was performed by personality questionnaires and diagnostic scales. Pearson's correlations of BP with test scores were calculated; p values <0.01 were considered significant.

Peak BPs positively related to social inhibition and shrewdness; peak BPs, BPd and BPm negatively related to openness towards culture; peak BPp negatively to humour. DBPs positively related to suspiciousness. Rec DBPs was positively related with suspiciousness (<0.001), but also (<0.01) to unreservedness and humour.

Results indicate that interindividual differences in BP changes were related to personality traits mainly connected to the interpersonal relation style of individual subjects. The hypothesis could be forwarded that the autonomic control style of BP during the performed task, and interpersonal relation style, may be considered linked operative features of a central common network.