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. 2023 Sep 26;13(1):16098.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-41098-1.

Structural connectivity of grandiose versus vulnerable narcissism as models of social dominance and subordination

Lisa Schmidt  1   2   3 , Julia-Katharina Pfarr  1   3 , Tina Meller  1   3 , Ulrika Evermann  1   3 , Igor Nenadić  4   5   6
Affiliations

Structural connectivity of grandiose versus vulnerable narcissism as models of social dominance and subordination

Lisa Schmidt et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Social dominance and subordination have been linked to fronto-limbic and fronto-thalamic networks and are related to phenotypes such as grandiose vs. vulnerable narcissistic traits. The latter have been linked to clinical features such as empathy and emotional regulation. In this study we tested the hypotheses that narcissistic traits are associated with white matter integrity in fasciculus uncinate, cingulum, and anterior thalamic radiation (ATR). We applied the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) to assess narcissistic traits in a sample of 267 psychiatrically healthy individuals. We used 3 T MRI to acquire Diffusion Tensor Imaging data for analysis with TBSS in FSL applying TFCE to test for correlations of fractional anisotropy (FA) and PNI scales. We detected a significant positive correlation of PNI total and FA in the right posterior cingulum. PNI Vulnerability was significantly correlated with FA in the left anterior and right posterior cingulum. We did not find overall correlations with PNI Grandiosity, but additional analyses showed significant effects with FA of ATR. Our results strengthen network models for narcissism underlying both personality variation and pathology. Especially associations of narcissistic vulnerability within fronto-limbic tracts suggest overlaps within neural correlates of related phenotypes like neuroticism, social subordination, and negative emotionality.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Association of PNI scales and FA (two-dimensional). PNI Total and Vulnerable scale and association with FA (all FWE peak level corrected) and scatter plots (made with R Studio (version 2022.2.3.492, https://www.rstudio.com/); yellow: tract mask; red: significant clusters; cluster edges are displayed enlarged; depiction made with MRICroGl (version 12.3.1, https://www.nitrc.org/projects/mricrogl); (a) PNI Total & right posterior cingulum; (b) PNI Vulnerable & left anterior cingulum; (c) PNI Vulnerable & right posterior cingulum.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association of PNI scales and FA (three-dimensional). Three-dimensional view of PNI Vulnerable and association with FA (all FWE peak level corrected); red: significant clusters left anterior cingulum, green: significant clusters right posterior cingulum; cluster edges are displayed enlarged; depiction made with MRICroGl (version 12.3.1, https://www.nitrc.org/projects/mricrogl); (a) PNI Vulnerable & right posterior cingulum cut-out; (b) PNI Vulnerable & left anterior cingulum cut-out; (c) PNI Vulnerable & left anterior and right posterior cingulum.
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