The medial prefrontal cortex: a potential link between self-deception and affect

Duran, Kelly A.; O’Halloran, Hannah; Soder, Heather E.; Yasin, Saeed; Kramer, Rebecca K.; Rosen, Sydney; Brenya, Janet; Chavarria, Katherine; Savitska, Liliia; Keenan, Julian Paul

doi:10.1080/00207454.2020.1753729

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Similarly, a recent study on cognitive emotion regulation training demonstrated that vmPFC activity exerts a modulated emotional response in regulating emotions to aversive images 57 , which connects our study to previous hypotheses of deficient emotion regulation in narcissism and prefrontal brain networks. The mPFC, also identified in our study, has previously been linked to self-enhancement in a series of brain stimulation studies 58 – 60 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Narcissistic personality traits and prefrontal brain structure

Nenadić

Lorenz

Gaser

2021

Sci Rep

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Narcissistic traits have been linked to structural and functional brain networks, including the insular cortex, however, with inconsistent findings. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that subclinical narcissism is associated with variations in regional brain volumes in insular and prefrontal areas. We studied 103 clinically healthy subjects, who were assessed for narcissistic traits using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI, 40-item version) and received high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-based morphometry was used to analyse MRI scans and multiple regression models were used for statistical analysis, with threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE). We found significant (p < 0.05, family-wise error FWE corrected) positive correlations of NPI scores with grey matter in multiple prefrontal cortical areas (including the medial and ventromedial, anterior/rostral dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices, subgenual and mid-anterior cingulate cortices, insula, and bilateral caudate nuclei). We did not observe reliable links to particular facets of NPI-narcissism. Our findings provide novel evidence for an association of narcissistic traits with variations in prefrontal and insular brain structure, which also overlap with previous functional studies of narcissism-related phenotypes including self-enhancement and social dominance. However, further studies are needed to clarify differential associations to entitlement vs. vulnerable facets of narcissism.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Narcissistic personality traits and prefrontal brain structure

Nenadić

Lorenz

Gaser

2021

Sci Rep

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“…The argument that SE is used as a method to reduce and prevent depression provides a new fundamental role of the PFC. This view is supported by recent data collected by Duran et al, showing how disruption of regions associated with self-enhancement leads to a significant decrease in mood 135 . Specifically, replicating the parameters of Kwan et al's study, it was found that TMS decreased mood following MPFC TMS.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…On the other hand, one could also simply distort their own reality and state that it is not their fault. We have found that affect and selfenhancement are directly tied together in regions of the PFC as determined via TMS 114 . This suggest at least some degree of mood enhancement, SE, and the PFC.…”

Section: Self-enhancement and The Pre-frontal Cortexmentioning

confidence: 84%

Self-Enhancement and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: the Convergence of Clinical and Experimental Findings

Yasin¹,

Fierst²,

Keenan³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Self-enhancement (SE) is often overlooked as a fundamental cognitive ability mediated via the Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC). Here we present research that establishes the relationship between the PFC, SE, and the potential evolved beneficial mechanisms. Specifically, we believe there is now enough evidence to speculate that SE exists to provide significant benefits and should be considered a normal aspect of the self. Whatever the metabolic or social cost, the upside of SE is great enough that it is a core and fundamental psychological construct. Furthermore, though entirely theoretical, we suggest that a critical reason the PFC has evolved so significantly in Homo sapien is to, in part, sustain SE. We therefore elaborate as to its proximate and ultimate mechanisms.

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“…In fact, similar to the above studies, there is typically rTPJ activation at a greater rate than frontal. We find this interesting as the disruption of the MPFC leads to reductions in self-enhancement [ 97 , 105 , 106 , 107 ] and we would therefore expect a more consistent activation of frontal regions in studies of pride. We speculate that self-enhancement may be more similar to hubristic pride and that future studies should examine different pride types in more detail.…”

Section: Pridementioning

confidence: 92%

Self-Conscious Emotions and the Right Fronto-Temporal and Right Temporal Parietal Junction

et al. 2022

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For more than two decades, research focusing on both clinical and non-clinical populations has suggested a key role for specific regions in the regulation of self-conscious emotions. It is speculated that both the expression and the interpretation of self-conscious emotions are critical in humans for action planning and response, communication, learning, parenting, and most social encounters. Empathy, Guilt, Jealousy, Shame, and Pride are all categorized as self-conscious emotions, all of which are crucial components to one’s sense of self. There has been an abundance of evidence pointing to the right Fronto-Temporal involvement in the integration of cognitive processes underlying the expression of these emotions. Numerous regions within the right hemisphere have been identified including the right temporal parietal junction (rTPJ), the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). In this review, we aim to investigate patient cases, in addition to clinical and non-clinical studies. We also aim to highlight these specific brain regions pivotal to the right hemispheric dominance observed in the neural correlates of such self-conscious emotions and provide the potential role that self-conscious emotions play in evolution.

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The medial prefrontal cortex: a potential link between self-deception and affect

Cited by 10 publications

References 65 publications

Narcissistic personality traits and prefrontal brain structure

Narcissistic personality traits and prefrontal brain structure

Self-Enhancement and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: the Convergence of Clinical and Experimental Findings

Self-Conscious Emotions and the Right Fronto-Temporal and Right Temporal Parietal Junction

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