The etiology of psychopathy: A neuropsychological perspective (original) (raw)

The Neurological Bases for Psychopathy: a Short Literature Review

This paper will investigate the last decade of research into the neurological bases for psychopathy. It is a conditioned that has a number of serious consequences, not only for the individual but for society at large, including heightened rates of aggression, sexual violence, and drug addiction. The condition itself has suffered from poor definition in the past, and still today a definitive and fool-proof method of detection has alluded researchers. As will be seen in this paper, among the difficulties is that no one structure in the brain appears responsible for the condition, but is rather brought about by a permutation of dysfunctions across multiple structures including the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral striatum.

Neurobiology and Psychosocial Factors of Psychopathy: Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Therapeutic Perspectives

2024

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy, antisocial behavior, manipulation, and superficial charm. This study comprehensively reviews the neurobiological aspects, including anomalies in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, as well as abnormal brain activity related to emotional regulation and reward processing. Additionally, genetic and environmental factors, such as child abuse and family dynamics, are explored for their interactive influence on the disorder's development. Successful and unsuccessful psychopathy is distinguished based on neurobiological and behavioral differences. Evaluation is primarily conducted using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Current interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and the potential use of oxytocin, show limited results, highlighting the need for future research to develop more effective and personalized preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Neurobiology of aggressive behaviour: focus on psychopathy

Violent behaviour appears to be the result of a complex net of interacting genetic as well as environmental factors. Both antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and psychopathy are associated with a propensity owards violence, although there is some evidence that psychopathy may be associated with instrumental aggression, while ASPD is more associated with reactive aggression. People with psychopathic personality are characterized by a constellation of traits including interpersonal affective features (e.g. lack of affect and emotion) and antisocial features (e.g. impulsive and aggressive behaviour). Cognitive and affective emotional processing deficits associated with brain abnormalities, particularly structural and functional impairments in the orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex and amygdale, have been found in psychopathy. Frontal and temporal obe abnormalities are associated with violent behaviour, such that prefrontal deficits have been associated with behavioural disinhibition, increased risk taking, and impulsivity, whereas the temporal lobes, among others, are involved in affect regulation and sexual behaviour. Psychopathy has not traditionally been associated with generalized cognitive or intellectual dysfunctions, but rather with circumscribed deficits in specific neuropsychological domains. Based on research using neuropsychological assessments and other techniques, several cognitive characteristics appear to exist among subjects with psychopathy, such as cognitive inflexibility, attention deficits and inappropriate processing of contextual cues in the environment. The neuroscience of psychopathy is a field undergoing rapid growth and, like any field in its nascent stages, is vulnerable to methodological inconsistencies and subsequent interpretive variations. Although psychopathy is a major area of research in psychology and criminology, much remains unknown about its etiological underpinnings. Heterogeneity of the genetic and the neurocognitive findings may be partly due to the existence of different subtypes of psychopaths. Future studies need to examine the relationships between genes and interpersonal, behavioural and neuropsychological features of psychopathy, in addition and in combination with their role in legal decision-making.

Biological Correlates of Psychopathic Traits

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present and provide a critical review of most recent studies inquiring into brain abnormalities in psychopathy. Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide an overview of the findings of neurobiological studies conducted in the last five years. Publications chosen for review were found using Web of Science, PsycINFO and Scopus search engines. Findings – Data in the literature reveal that psychopathy is associated with brain abnormalities in frontal and temporo-limbic regions, i.e. regions responsible for moral decision making, emotional processing and learning. Additionally, interactions between the brain areas have been identified as crucial for the development of psychopathic personality traits. Research findings suggest that the flow of impulses between the frontal cortex and temporo-limbic structures in psychopaths is significantly hindered. Originality/value – The current paper provides an in-depth review of most recent neurobiologica...

Psychopathy: Legal and neuroscientific aspects

Anuario de Psicología Jurídica, 2017

Psychopathy is characterised by emotional disturbances that affect interpersonal behaviour and decisionmaking. The objective of this paper is to review the most recent contributions to the field of neuroscience of psychopathy and the implications that this disorder has on the criminal legal field. In regards to this last aspect, we evaluate the issue of psychopaths' accountability and the incidence of psychopathy in many other penal institutions. In terms of the contributions of neuroscience, we will focus on the orbitofrontal (ofPFC) and ventromedial (vmPFC) regions of the frontal lobes and on the amygdala. Data spanning from the nineteenth century to the present indicate that damage to the ofPFC and vmPFC is the basis of behaviours that have been referred to as pseudopsychopathic. The earlier during brain development the damage occurs, the more likely these behaviours will resemble those of psychopaths. The damage to the amygdala is rather related to impairments in the ability to distinguish facial expressions of fear and the capacity to feel emotions. Damage to ofPFC, vmPFC, and amygdala are highly relevant to the expression of pseudopsychopathic behaviours.

An Exploration of Psychopathy as a Neuroscience Construct

2018

Hare’s psychopathy construct as defined by the Psychopathy ChecklistRevised has been utilized internationally as a risk assessment instrument for quite some time. Despite this, since its inception it has and continues to raise criticism from the academic community. There is ongoing debate over what the construct entails and how it should be used. Most recent developments in the construct revolve around it being defined as a neurological manifestation. To explore the psychopathy construct’s connection with neuroscience, this thesis focusses on one foundational experiment by the most prominent team of researchers in the field. The exploration borrows from Science and Technology Studies, more specifically Actor-Network Theory and the semiotic of scientific texts. The goal of this analysis is not to criticize nor defend the psychopathy construct, but rather explore the facticity of psychopathy as a neuroscientific fact. Considering the widespread use of the construct across criminal jus...

The neurobiology of psychopathy: a neurodevelopmental perspective

Canadian Journal of Psychiatry/Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie, 2009

We provide an overview of the neurobiological underpinnings of psychopathy. Cognitive and affective–emotional processing deficits are associated with abnormal brain structure and function, particularly the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. There is limited evidence of lower cortisol levels being associated with psychopathic personality. Initial developmental research is beginning to suggest that these neurobiological processes may have their origins early in life. Findings suggest that psychopathic personality may, in part, have a ...

Born this way? A review of neurobiological and environmental evidence for the etiology of psychopathy

Personality Neuroscience

Across a significant body of research, psychopathy has often been conceptualized as a biologically based malady. In this research, genetic and neurobiological differences have been conceptualized to underlie psychopathy, while affected individuals’ life experiences only influence expressed psychopathic features and their severity. Psychopathy research has largely ignored developmental evidence demonstrating significant influences of environment on both biological and behavioral processes, resulting in several prominent criticisms (Edens & Vincent, 2008; Loeber, Byrd, & Farrington, 2015). The current review was conducted with two main aims: (a) to collect and consider etiological evidence from the extant body of research on genetic and neurobiological factors in psychopathy; and (b) to evaluate findings from genetic, neurotransmitter, brain structure, and brain function studies in the context of relevant evidence from developmental research. Examples from research on adversity and tr...