Abnormal functional brain connectivity and personality traits in myotonic dystrophy type 1

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a genetic multisystem disorder affecting skeletal muscle and other organs, including the brain.
• Cognitive and personality abnormalities are reported in DM1, but brain functional networks and their relation to personality remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between personality traits/disorders and functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) in DM1 patients.
• Utilize resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to assess these brain-personality connections.

Main Methods:

• Enrolled 27 DM1 patients and 16 healthy controls.
• Assessed personality using clinical interviews and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2).
• Acquired rs-fMRI data from all participants to analyze DMN functional connectivity.

Main Results:

• Identified a spectrum of atypical personality profiles in DM1 patients, from schizotypal traits to paranoid personality disorder.
• Observed increased DMN functional connectivity in bilateral posterior cingulate and left parietal nodes in DM1 patients compared to controls.
• Found significant associations between DMN functional connectivity and schizotypal-paranoid traits in DM1 patients.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest DM1 involves alterations in brain functional connectivity.
• These functional brain abnormalities may contribute to the atypical personality traits seen in DM1 patients.
• Provides novel biological evidence linking DM1, brain network alterations, and personality changes.