title: Positron-emission tomography and personality disorders.
abstract: This study used positron-emission tomography to examine cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMRG) in 17 patients with DSM III-R diagnoses of personality disorder. Within the group of 17 personality disorder patients, there was a significant inverse correlation between a life history of aggressive impulse difficulties and regional CMRG in the frontal cortex of the transaxial plane approximately 40 mm above the canthomeatal line (CML) (r = -.56, p = 0.17). Diagnostic groups included antisocial (n = 6), borderline (n = 6), dependent (n = 2), and narcissistic (n = 3). Regional CMRG in the six antisocial patients and in the six borderline patients was compared to a control group of 43 subjects using an analysis of covariance with age and sex as covariates. In the borderline personality disorder group, there was a significant decrease in frontal cortex metabolism in the transaxial plane approximately 81 mm above the CML and a significant increase in the transaxial plane approximately 53 mm above the CML (F[1,45] = 8.65, p = .005; and F[1,45] = 7.68, p = .008, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University Medical School, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Goyer
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Andreason
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Semple
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Compton-Toth
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose