Neuroimaging and personality disorders

Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2005 Mar;7(1):65-72. doi: 10.1007/s11920-005-0027-2.

Abstract

Within the past several years, neuroimaging research on personality disorders has begun to develop. Personality disorders can be thought of as trait-like dysfunctional patterns in cognitive, affective, impulse control, and interpersonal domains. These domains of dysfunction have been linked to specific neural circuits. Developments in brain imaging techniques have allowed researchers to examine the neural integrity of these circuits in personality-disordered individuals. This article reviews the neuroimaging literature on borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder (including psychopathy) and schizotypal personality disorder. Functional and structural studies provide support for dysfunction in fronto-limbic circuits in borderline and antisocial personality disorder, whereas temporal lobe and basal striatal-thalamic compromise is evident in schizotypal personality disorder.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / diagnostic imaging
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / physiopathology*
  • Borderline Personality Disorder / diagnostic imaging
  • Borderline Personality Disorder / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Limbic System / diagnostic imaging
  • Limbic System / pathology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Radiography
  • Schizotypal Personality Disorder / diagnostic imaging
  • Schizotypal Personality Disorder / physiopathology*
  • Temporal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Temporal Lobe / pathology*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon