Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Oct;47(10):1363-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.05.017. Epub 2013 Jun 15.
Despite the relevance of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) in clinical settings, there is currently no empirical data available regarding the neurobiological correlates of NPD. In the present study, we performed a voxel-based morphometric analysis to provide initial insight into local abnormalities of gray matter (GM) volume.
Structural brain images were obtained from patients with NPD (n = 17) and a sample of healthy controls (n = 17) matched regarding age, gender, handedness, and intelligence. Groups were compared with regard to global brain tissue volumes and local abnormalities of GM volume. Regions-of-interest analyses were calculated for the anterior insula.
Relative to the control group, NPD patients had smaller GM volume in the left anterior insula. Independent of group, GM volume in the left anterior insula was positively related to self-reported emotional empathy. Complementary whole-brain analyses yielded smaller GM volume in fronto-paralimbic brain regions comprising the rostral and median cingulate cortex as well as dorsolateral and medial parts of the prefrontal cortex.
Here we provide the first empirical evidence for structural abnormalities in fronto-paralimbic brain regions of patients with NPD. The results are discussed in the context of NPD patients' restricted ability for emotional empathy.
尽管自恋型人格障碍（NPD）在临床环境中具有重要意义，但目前尚无关于 NPD 的神经生物学相关性的实证数据。在本研究中，我们进行了基于体素的形态测量分析，以初步了解灰质（GM）体积的局部异常。
从 NPD 患者（n=17）和年龄、性别、惯用手和智力相匹配的健康对照组（n=17）中获得结构脑图像。比较两组的全脑组织体积和 GM 体积的局部异常。对前岛叶进行了感兴趣区分析。
与对照组相比，NPD 患者的左侧前岛叶 GM 体积较小。独立于组，左侧前岛叶的 GM 体积与自我报告的情感同理心呈正相关。全脑分析的补充结果显示，包括额极边缘脑区的额中回和扣带回前部以及前额叶背外侧和内侧部分的 GM 体积较小。
在这里，我们为 NPD 患者额极边缘脑区的结构异常提供了第一个实证证据。结果在 NPD 患者情感同理心受限的背景下进行了讨论。
