The disordered Brain of a Narcissist

Interestingly enough this week I have decided to look into the brain of a Narcissist, a couple days ago I was asked if there is something is wrong with the brain of a Narcissist? Research has clearly indicated possible brain abnormalities, in persons with NPD.

Have you ever wondered if something is wrong with the brain of a Narcissist?

Here is your answer:

People who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder, which is characterized by extreme arrogance and self-absorption, have structural abnormalities in a region of the brain that has been linked to empathy, a new study finds.

Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brains of 34 people, including 17 individuals who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder, and found that pathological narcissists have less gray matter in a part of the cerebral cortex called the left anterior insula. Gray matter is primarily composed of neuron cell bodies and non-neuron brain cells that provide nutrients and energy to neurons, rather than sending and receiving information.

Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder suffer from low self-esteem and feelings of inferiority, while also projecting displays of arrogance and vanity, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

One of the key traits of pathological narcissists is their clear lack of empathy. The left anterior insula region of the brain, which is thought to be involved with cognitive functioning and the regulation of emotion, has also been tied to the generation of compassion and empathy.

A region of interest for empathy, for the first time, researchers were able to show that it is structurally correlated in the brain.

The researchers found that the degree to which a person was able to exhibit empathy was tied to the volume of gray matter in the brain, both in the group of healthy individuals and among those with narcissistic personality disorder. The finding suggests that regardless of personality disorders, the left anterior insula plays an important role in feeling and expressing compassion.

Look out for my blog next week, I will be doing an article. What kind of empathy do Narcissists possess? What is the most dangerous kind of NPD?