Research and Publications - Department of Psychology

Permanent URI for this collection

https://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/2852

Browse

Browsing Research and Publications - Department of Psychology by Subject "ABNORMALITIES"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Increased Volume of the Striatum in Psychopathic Individuals
    (Elsevier, 2010) Glenn, Andrea L.; Raine, Adrian; Yaralian, Pauline S.; Yang, Yaling; University of Pennsylvania; University of California System; University of California Los Angeles; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Background: The corpus striatum, comprised of the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus, plays an important role in reward processing and may be involved in the pathophysiology of antisocial behavior. Few studies have explored whether differences are present in the striatum of antisocial individuals. Here, we examine the structure of the striatum in relation to psychopathy. Methods: Using a case-control design, we examined the volume of the striatum in psychopathic individuals compared with control subjects matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and substance dependence. Twenty-two psychopathic individuals assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and 22 comparison subjects underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Volumes of the left and right lenticular nucleus (putamen and globus pallidus), caudate head, and caudate body were assessed and the psychopathic and control groups were compared. Results: Psychopathic individuals showed a 9.6% increase in striatum volumes. Analyses of subfactors of psychopathy revealed that caudate body volumes were primarily associated with the interpersonal and affective features of psychopathy, while caudate head volumes were primarily associated with the impulsive, stimulation-seeking features. Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence for differences in the striatum of psychopathic individuals. This structural difference may partially underlie the reward-seeking and decision-making deficits associated with psychopathy.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    No volumetric differences in the anterior cingulate of psychopathic individuals
    (Elsevier, 2010) Glenn, Andrea L.; Yang, Yaling; Raine, Adrian; Colletti, Patrick; University of Pennsylvania; University of California System; University of California Los Angeles; University of Southern California; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Functional imaging studies of psychopathy have demonstrated reduced activity in the anterior cingulate, yet it is unclear whether this region is structurally impaired. In this study, we used structural MRI to examine whether volumetric differences exist in the anterior cingulate between psychopathic (n = 24) and control (n = 24) male participants. We found no group differences in the volume of the anterior cingulate or its dorsal and ventral subregions. Our findings call into question whether the anterior cingulate is impaired in psychopathy, or whether previous findings of reduced activity may result from reduced input from other deficient regions. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Psychopathy and instrumental aggression: Evolutionary, neurobiological, and legal perspectives
    (Pergamon, 2009) Glenn, Andrea L.; Raine, Adrian; University of Pennsylvania; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    In the study of aggression, psychopathy represents a disorder that is of particular interest because it often involves aggression which is premeditated, emotionless, and instrumental in nature; this is especially true for more serious types of offenses. Such instrumental aggression is aimed at achieving a goal (e.g., to obtain resources such as money, or to gain status). Unlike the primarily reactive aggression observed in other disorders, psychopaths appear to engage in aggressive acts for the purpose of benefiting themselves. This is especially interesting in light of arguments that psychopathy may represent an alternative life-history strategy that is evolutionarily adaptive; behaviors such as aggression, risk-taking, manipulation, and promiscuous sexual behavior observed in psychopathy may be means by which psychopaths gain advantage over others. Recent neurobiological research supports the idea that abnormalities in brain regions key to emotion and morality may allow psychopaths to pursue such a strategy-psychopaths may not experience the social emotions such as empathy, guilt, and remorse that typically discourage instrumentally aggressive acts, and may even experience pleasure when committing these acts. Findings from brain imaging studies of psychopaths may have important implications for the law. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.