Psychopathic traits associated with abnormal hemodynamic activity in salience and default mode networks during auditory oddball task.
Nathaniel E Anderson, J Michael Maurer, Vaughn R Steele, Kent A Kiehl
Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience June 2018 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0588-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (cross-sectional fMRI) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 168 |
| Population | Incarcerated adult males |
| Measures | Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Attention Oddball Psychopathy Salience network FMRI |
| Key findings | In 168 incarcerated men, psychopathy-related neural effects during an auditory oddball task were largest for the contrast between frequent standard stimuli and an implicit task-off baseline, with negative correlations to PCL-R Factor 1 (interpersonal-affective traits) in default mode and salience network regions. The authors argue this supports models of psychopathy as impaired integration and inefficient switching between default mode and task-positive networks, and a neurophysiological basis for abnormal attention mobilization. |
Abstract
Psychopathy is a personality disorder accompanied by abnormalities in emotional processing and attention. Recent theoretical applications of network-based models of cognition have been used to explain the diverse range of abnormalities apparent in psychopathy. Still, the physiological basis for these abnormalities is not well understood. A significant body of work has examined psychopathy-related abnormalities in simple attention-based tasks, but these studies have largely been performed using electrocortical measures, such as event-related potentials (ERPs), and they often have been carried out among individuals with low levels of psychopathic traits. In this study, we examined neural activity during an auditory oddball task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a simple auditory target detection (oddball) task among 168 incarcerated adult males, with psychopathic traits assessed via the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Event-related contrasts demonstrated that the largest psychopathy-related effects were apparent between the frequent standard stimulus condition and a task-off, implicit baseline. Negative correlations with interpersonal-affective dimensions (Factor 1) of the PCL-R were apparent in regions comprising default mode and salience networks. These findings support models of psychopathy describing impaired integration across functional networks. They additionally corroborate reports which have implicated failures of efficient transition between default mode and task-positive networks. Finally, they demonstrate a neurophysiological basis for abnormal mobilization of attention and reduced engagement with stimuli that have little motivational significance among those with high psychopathic traits.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The salience network is responsible for switching between the default mode network and the central executive network: Replication from DCM Neuroimage May 24, 2014
- Damage to the Salience Network and Interactions with the Default Mode Network Journal of Neuroscience August 13, 2014
- The salience network causally influences default mode network activity during moral reasoning Brain April 9, 2013
- Functional connectivity in the resting brain: A network analysis of the default mode hypothesis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 27, 2002