Psychopathy and the Brain

Research has shown that psychopaths have changes in portions of the brain that process emotion and are involved in morality. In her Time article, Psychopaths and Callous Children Show Dysfunctional Brain Responses to People In Pain, Maia Szalavitz discusses two studies that have examined the brain responses of known psychopaths and callous children in response to images of people in pain. The results of these studies indicate that psychopaths and callous children have dysfunctions in the same brain areas.

            Szalavitz examines the insula, a portion of the brain that acts as a connector between the orbital, cingulate, and temporal cortex. She explains that the insula monitors emotional and physical states. Interestingly, in a study done by Jean Decety at the University of Chicago, researchers found that psychopaths had a significant increase in insula activity compared to non-psychopaths. Decety predicted the opposite of the findings of his study. He explained that the insula is activated when there is emotion, but it is the orbitofrontal cortex that distinguishes one’s own feelings from empathetic feelings. Decety believes that there is likely decreased activity in the orbitofrontal cortex of psychopaths.

James Fallon, a neuroscientist at the University of California, examines brain images of known psychopaths. In his book The Psychopath Inside, Fallon describes more of the brain changes seen in a typical psychopath. Fallon has found that psychopaths have decreased activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, as predicted by Decety. Fallon explains that the orbitofrontal cortex is involved in inhibition, social behavior, ethics, and morality. Psychopaths typically are characterized by antisocial and amoral behavior, so it is not surprising that psychopaths typically have decreased activity of the orbitofrontal cortex.

The limbic cortex is the main brain area regulating emotion. Fallon found that the general psychopathic brain pattern involves a major loss in the limbic cortex. Additionally, Fallon identified other areas related to anxiety and empathy that exhibit decreased activity in psychopaths. Fallon’s findings contribute to other studies that typically focus on the orbital and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, providing a more complete picture of the psychopathic brain.

Szalavitz also discusses a study performed by Essi Viding, the professor of developmental psychopathology at University College London. Viding examined the brain responses of boys with behavioral problems to images of people in pain. The results of her study indicate the children with conduct problems have decreased activity in brain areas associated with empathy. Although these results indicate that the brains of these children are abnormal, Viding explains that there are many other factors involved in psychopathy—these brain differences do not mean these children will definitely become psychopaths. Viding believes that future research will provide interventions for these children to better empathize and potentially prevent development of further antisocial behavior.

Link to article: http://healthland.time.com/2013/05/07/psychopaths-callous-children-show-dysfunctional-brain-responses-to-people-in-pain/

References:

Fallon, J. (2013). The psychopath inside: A neuroscientist's personal journey into the dark side of the brain. New York: Current.

Szalavitz, M. (2013). Psychopaths and Callous Children Show Dysfunctional Brain Responses to People In Pain. Time.