Charpentier, JudithDzemidzic, MarioWest, JohnOberlin, Brandon G.Eiler, William J. A. IISaykin, Andrew J.Kareken, David A.2017-06-202017-06-202016-02-28Charpentier, J., Dzemidzic, M., West, J., Oberlin, B. G., Eiler, W. J. A., Saykin, A. J., & Kareken, D. A. (2016). Externalizing personality traits, empathy, and gray matter volume in healthy young drinkers. Psychiatry Research, 248, 64–72. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.01.006https://hdl.handle.net/1805/13125Externalizing psychopathology has been linked to prefrontal abnormalities. While clinically diagnosed subjects show altered frontal gray matter, it is unknown if similar deficits relate to externalizing traits in non-clinical populations. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to retrospectively analyze the cerebral gray matter volume of 176 young adult social to heavy drinkers (mean age=24.0±2.9, male=83.5%) from studies of alcoholism risk. We hypothesized that prefrontal gray matter volume and externalizing traits would be correlated. Externalizing personality trait components-Boredom Susceptibility-Impulsivity (BS/IMP) and Empathy/Low Antisocial Behaviors (EMP/LASB)-were tested for correlations with gray matter partial volume estimates (gmPVE). Significantly large clusters (pFWE<0.05, family-wise whole-brain corrected) of gmPVE correlated with EMP/LASB in dorsolateral and medial prefrontal regions, and in occipital cortex. BS/IMP did not correlate with gmPVE, but one scale of impulsivity (Eysenck I7) correlated positively with bilateral inferior frontal/orbitofrontal, and anterior insula gmPVE. In this large sample of community-dwelling young adults, antisocial behavior/low empathy corresponded with reduced prefrontal and occipital gray matter, while impulsivity correlated with increased inferior frontal and anterior insula cortical volume. These findings add to a literature indicating that externalizing personality features involve altered frontal architecture.en-USPublisher PolicyVBMMRIAlcoholFrontal lobesPersonalityImpulsivityArticle