The Scrambled Brain of the Narcissist

The Structural Integrity of the Brain with NPD is Compromised

The cognitive dissonance in a relationship with an NPD partner is substantial, but perhaps it’s all in their head. Literally.

In recent years, we can actually see narcissism in the brain shown in imaging tests like MRIs and CT scans. People who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder have structural abnormalities in regions of the brain that have been linked to empathy. Researchers have found that people with this disorder can take another person’s perspective in a purely intellectual way, but they find it difficult to feel what another person is feeling. That may be the defining feature, but there are countless other deficits as well.

What is at the root of the brain abnormalities? It depends. For people with NPD, it is theorized that early childhood trauma damaged the brain and halted normal development. Trauma and abuse have been shown to actually alter the cellular structure and neural pathways in the brain. The development of critical parts of the brain did not proceed in a healthy way when they should have. For the narcissistic psychopath, something similar happens before birth, and they are simply born that way.