摘要

Objective: To investigate the neuronal mechanisms of reward in individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and their modulation following a serotonergic intervention with mCPP. Material and methods: Study 1: Eight individuals with Cluster B (antisocial or borderline) PD and 14 control subjects. Study 2: 23 participants with ASPD and 25 control subjects. In both studies a block design reward task was used, in study 1 a loss task was also employed. Study 2 used mCPP to explore modulation of brain activations in both groups. Results: In study 1 we found decreased activations particularly in prefrontal brain structures in the patient compared to the control group. In study 2 increased neuronal activations were observed following mCPP compared to placebo, particularly in the patient group. Conclusions: Our studies confirmed that altered brain function, particularly in prefrontal structures, may underpin antisocial personality disorders. Serotonin appears to play a role not only in impulsivity but also in reward processing. Clinical relevance: Serotonergic substances might normalise neuronal activations in antisocial individuals.

  • 出版日期2011