Neural fingerprint of the dark triad: Resting state BOLD power (fALFF) alterations in executive and default mode networks

作者：Richard Bakiaj, Clara Isabel Pantoja Muñoz, Alessandro Grecucci · 发表于：Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3758/s13415-025-01352-7 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Personality Traits and Psychology、Personality Disorders and Psychopathology、Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending

The neural foundations of the Dark Triad (DT) personality traits-narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy-remain largely unexplored despite their profound impact on social behavior. Previous research has indicated potential structural and functional alterations in the default mode network (DMN) and reward-related regions in individuals exhibiting high levels of DT traits. However, these studies have often been limited by univariate analytical methods and small, unbalanced sample sizes. To address these gaps, we analyzed brain scans from a robust sample of 200 participants (mean age 32.43 years; 105 females) using group Independent Component Analysis (gICA), an unsupervised machine learning approach. This method allowed us to extract blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) low-frequency spectral power (fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations; fALFF) associated with resting-state macro-networks without relying on predefined regions of interest. Our analysis identified 20 macro-networks, of which two were significantly predictive of DT traits: the Central Executive Network (CEN) and the posterior hub of the Default Mode Network (DMN). Notably, higher DT scores correlated with increased fALFF within the CEN and decreased fALFF within the DMN. The heightened activity in the CEN may reflect enhanced manipulative abilities and strategic planning commonly observed in individuals with high DT traits, which is supported by the association between the CEN and the Machiavelli...