Positron-emission tomography and personality disorders.
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.
Goyer
P F
PF
Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University Medical School, Cleveland, Ohio.
Andreason
P J
PJ
Semple
W E
WE
Clayton
A H
AH
King
A C
AC
Compton-Toth
B A
BA
Schulz
S C
SC
Cohen
R M
RM
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
D005947:Glucose