Adrian Raine, a professor of psychology and neuroscience in the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, focused his research on two parts of the brain: the hippocampus, a portion of the temporal lobe that regulates aggression and transfers information into memory; and the corpus callosum, a bridge of nerve fibers that connects the cerebral hemispheres.
One type of psychopath is adept at avoiding getting caught committing crimes but another type is not.
To explore the physical roots to psychopathic behavior, Raine and his colleagues recruited 91 men from Los Angeles’ temporary employment pool and gave them a battery of tests to assess cognitive ability, information processing skills and criminal history. They also were given MRIs, or brain scans.
In the study of the hippocampus, the research team expanded the scope of previous studies by comparing the brains of two groups for the first time: “successful” psychopaths - those who had committed crimes but had never been caught - and “unsuccessful” psychopaths - those who had been caught.
The hippocampus plays a critical role in regulating aggression and in learning which situations one should be afraid of - a process called contextual fear conditioning.
With psychopaths, contextual fear conditioning plays a part in learning the concept of what to do and what not to do, Raine said. It has been theorized that the disruption of the circuit linking the hippocampus with the prefrontal cortex could contribute to the impulsiveness, lack of control and emotional abnormalities observed in psychopaths.
“It is learning what is right and what is wrong in a certain situation,” he said.
The difference between successful psychopaths (those who avoid getting arrested) and unsuccessful psychopaths is that the more successful ones have a greater ability to learn fear of getting caught and to therefore guide their own behavior to minimize the chances of getting caught.
He tested the theory that psychopaths with hippocampal impairments could become insensitive to cues that predicted punishment and capture. As a result, he said, these “impaired’ psychopaths were more likely to be apprehended than psychopaths without that deficit.
Fewer than half of both the control subjects and the “successful” psychopaths had an asymmetrical hippocampus.
Ninety-four percent of the unsuccessful psychopaths had that same abnormality, with the right side of the hippocampus larger than the left.
The successful and unsuccessful psychopaths share in common a different form of faulty brain wiring that causes them to lack empathy and consideration for other people.
These findings were bolstered by the results of the second study, which focused on the corpus callosum.
The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain, enabling them to work together to process information and regulate autonomic function. Raine explored its role in psychopathy for the first time.
“There’s faulty wiring going on in psychopaths. They’re wired differently than other people,” Raine said. “In a way, it’s literally true in this case.”
He found that the psychopaths’ corpus callosums were an average of 23 percent larger and 7 percent longer than the control groups’.
“The corpus callosum is bigger, but it’s also thinner. That suggests that it developed abnormally,” Raine said.
The rate that the psychopaths transmitted information from one hemisphere to the other through the corpus callosum also was abnormally high, Raine said.
But that didn’t mean things worked better.
With an increased corpus callosum came less remorse, fewer emotions and less social connectedness - the classic hallmarks of a psychopath, he said.
“These people don’t react. They don’t care,” Raine said. “Why that occurs, we don’t fully know, but we are beginning to get important clues from neuro-imaging research.”
When it comes possible to diagnose psychopaths should they be placed under greater sustained law enforcement scrutiny? The better adapted psychopaths who feel a great deal of fear of getting caught are currently getting away with many crimes. If we can identify who they are should they be treated differently?
Also, if a psychopath can be diagnosed in advance as extremely dangerous should it be permitted to lock such a person up in an institution before they rape or kill or do other harm to people? What if a person could be identified as a psychopath at the age of 14? Should such a person be removed from normal society?
Suppose it became possible to treat the brains of psychopaths to cause them to have greater empathy, greater remorse, and less impulsiveness. Should the government have the power to compel psychopaths to accept treatment that will change the wiring of their brains?
Also, if there is a genetic basis for psychopathy and it becomes possible to test for it then should people who have the genetic variations for psychopathic brain wiring be allowed to reproduce? Should they be allowed to reproduce if only they submit to genetic engineering of their developing offspring?
I predict that most of these hypothetical questions will become real questions that will be debated in many countries around the world. I also predict that most populations will support either preemptive restraint of psychopaths or forced treatment to change the brains of psychopaths to make them less dangerous.
By Randall Parker at 2004 March 16 03:04 PM Biological Mind | TrackBackPeople forget the reverse case: That your actions have an affect on your brain. Perhaps years of making poor choices reinforce and build unhealthy brain structures. Perhaps better education and kinder parenting also has an effect on your brain structures.
The brain is a physical object. Thoughts and memories have physical manifestation. We should not be so surprised when we keep reading about physical manifestations of behaviors. Does that really have an affect on our moral judgements?
"Perhaps better education and kinder parenting . . ."
Don't forget good nutrition, and an environment free of lead paint chips and diesel fumes. And a Mom who didn't drink during pregnancy.
Andy, Yes, environment matters. But once someone is a psychopath what to do about it? No one has a talk therapy that will cure psychopathy.
Also, psychopathic tendencies show up early. Once the brain is so shaped that it is psychopathic what to do about it?
Stefan, I agree that nutrition and other physical environment factos matter as well. How much choline mom ate during pregnancy also matters. But, again, once the brain is psychopathic and the person is a threat to society what to do about it?
Also, if we can know that a person is developing in a psychopathic direction at the age of, say, 2 or 8 or 12 and there is a medical treatment that will alter brain development should it be administered?
If someone's own actions (and the response from their environment) "shapes" their brain, then what is their moral culpability for criminal and psychopathic actions after their brain has been set in this way?
"What to do about it . . ."
Oh yeah. What we've got here is a really, really, big and firmly packed can of worms.
Worms with nasty teeth and a bad smell that won't be easily ignored.
All the denial by conservatives wanting to be able to hold individuals accountable in their lovably stern and clueless way, and liberals wanting to find excuses in societal and environmental factors in their endearingly flaky way, won't make the can go away.
Based on our past experience with dealing with uncomfortable biological facts, I don't see a good outcome any time soon. Consider evolution: On one hand it was misinterpreted by ideologues for political purposes (Social Darwinism); on the other, we have people in deep denial who are still doing the damndnest to remove it from school textbooks.
More to the point: We have an awful hard time, right now, making people on the margins take their meds, be they antipsychotic or for TB. Imagine trying to keep one of these manipulative smart psychopaths medicated.
Randall, Stefan, CB, you all make great points. I agree that the question is very unsettled. Let's keep in mind that people have suffered head injuries followed by behavioral changes since the dawn of Man, so at some level, this is not an entirely new concept.
I will say, to CB, that traditional Western morality has no problem punishing people for becoming accustomed to criminality. It is our responsibility to not become accustomed to it. That our acclimation to one behavior or another has a physical manifestation is not completely exculpatory. Even someone born with a psychopathic brain to a horrendous family has, at some reduced level, choices he or she can make. The necessities of running a civilization take precedence, however. In Judaism, God is given the power of final complete judgement, and we are empowered to maintain our laws as we see fit. Christians also talk about Original Sin and forgiveness, while still being able to throw the switch on the electric chair, even after "forgiving" someone for their sins. I don't know much about Greek philosophy on this subject, but I'm sure Plato thought of this.
Here's a question: You have two people, both psychopathic murderers. The first was born with that predisposition hard-wired. The second was Ghandi's identical twin, but was raised by followers of Osama Bin Laden. Whom is more responsible for their murders? Does it make a difference?
Andy, The extent to which we have free choice varies. Look at the head-bangers in mental hospitals or the people who have various other obsessive compulsive disorders. Do they have free will?
As for your question: I see no evidence that psychopathy is learned. That is just the point. If it really is caused by how the brain grows (either due to genetics or biochemical environment in the womb) then Gandhi's brother wouldn't be a psychopath (not that I buy the whole Western idea of Gandhi as a saint anyway).
The cause and effect bit here is still a bit vague. It's like finding that someone who likes to play sport is more muscular than someone who doesn't. Now does playing sport cause muscle growth, or does natural strength lead one to be better at sport, and so enjoy it more? You can't really tell just by measuring the muscles of sports players.
This also applies to the differences in "the gay brain".
Before we go labelling people as "psychopathic deviants", we need to remember the results of the Milgram experiment. >60% of the population is willing to torture to death a random stranger if asked to do so by an authority figure.
Maybe these some of these "psychopaths" aren't more "evil" than normal. Perhaps they just have higher initiative and self-motivation.
Schizophrenia is a mutation that evolved 60,000 years ago,it gave us language. Psychopathy is part of this schizotypal link, and therefore must be part of our language development. Psychopaths process language in both hemispheres of the brain,not just the right side. I feel we should have a global registration of psychopaths. Also we must be democratic. Psychopathic leaders do tremendous damage.Saddam Hussein is our most recent example. Perhaps if we could control this damaging part of our species,then we could put more of our resources in to the advancement of our species.
I think this could be the most important science news of the year. The implications are profound, on several fronts. To me the most exciting aspect of this story is the statement that psychopaths’ corpus callosums were bigger and worked faster. In other words, their minds were more unified. Could the origin of empathy be our internal struggle to deal with our left-brain/right-brain duality?
My essay on my blog is here.
Rakhiir
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Fascinating. I'd like to know what psychopaths excell at. Perhaps they can be put to good use by society.
I also predict that if we found out who all psychopaths in the world were, there would be quite a few surprises. People expect infamous baddies like Saddam Hussein to pop up, but I bet many people who have world renown as philanthropists are in fact psychopaths - extremely well-hidden and well-adepted ones.
I have found out that I have the characterists of a psychopath. I am one of the 'wired differently" smooth talking, hard selling. many talents, 4 marriages, very easiy bored, can tell biggest lies with great drama,con man, and wife beater who has beat the system, so far. I was even arrested for wife beating, but blamed my wife as the culprit and the charges were dropped!
My question is there support groups for controlling this, how does one who wants change cope? are we monsters? Should I eliminate myself? Is there more helpful information or studies? This chaos in my life has to stop.
One answer Max, I have a very,very creative mind, lying and manipulating spurns creative ideas in me. I am now CEO of a small publishing co. Ideas flow daily!
(P.S I even manipulated my therapists)
Rakhiir, Madison:
I agree that this lack of remorse, empathy is the result of a too-effective corpus callosum; the ability to rationalize things becomes just too great. One can rationalize anything, given enough time -- the psychopaths are just quicker, and can flit to rationalization to rationalization.
Hi All:
As a mother of a soon-to-be psychopath (he is not 18 yrs old yet), I am glad that there is new research indicating that not all parents are to blame for psychopath's behaviour. I ate nutritionally and took good care of my child inside and outside of me. I provided the same quality of life, free from abuse just as I did for my other child. The only difference between the 2 boys is their genetics. They have different fathers with 2 totally differnt backgrounds.
My question is: Has anyone scanned newborns and follwed them through to adulthood?
Kim Howatt
My question is ... could psychopaths be locked in instututions even if they haven't committed a crime? We all know they are a threat to our society so would it not be right to prevent them from doing any harm???
i have ? for u guys why do u not have pics on here u need pics og parts of the brain cause i knida of need them by tomorrow plzzz
I find this article and the comments very interesting. I am pleased that research is looking more closely at possible congenital defects as a cause for mental illness. I recently saw a program on TV dealing with the effects of chronic fear (such as in severe child abuse and neglect or satanic ritual abuse) on the brain. I was wondering if anyone had any information about the possibility of early fears being related to the changes in the hippocampus and corpus callosum that are seen in psychopaths? And, if so, at what age would this most likely occur? In other words, is it possible, that rather than a congenital defect the damage occurred early in life due to sustained abuse and/or fear?
I would like to see a nationwide survey of families who have one, or more, antisocial relatives. I bet almost every family in America would have at least one. Someone told me that half the people in the world are bad and half the people are good. She was not studied on antisocial behavior. There are lots of people who are like this >>>
With an increased corpus callosum came less remorse, fewer emotions and less social connectedness - the classic hallmarks of a psychopath, he said. “These people don’t react. They don’t care,” Raine said. I don't really know anyone who doesn't exhibit these traits. That is a sad commentary. I notice it. They don't.
Oh ps. If someone hasn't done anything wrong, nothing should be done. If they do not want anything to change their brains, then they shouldn't. It is a big deal, and an intricate process. I would not want someone messing with my brain. What if they invented something that would make them more empathetic, but caused them great pain? Their former reality would be destroyed. You shouldn't mess with other people like that.
Doing something wrong vs being convicted in a court of law. They are very different things. Psychopaths are compulsive and audacious liars. They believe they can get away with anything and usually do. Growing up with one I found that when confronted with having comitted an act of cruelty for example, the response was inevitably-"Prove it. You can't. You see you're accusing me of something you can't prove. How dare you,it didn't happen. What's wrong with you!" These people do wrong all the time but it is only their victims who know what is happening. When they try to tell others they are not believed. The psychopath may have already spread numerous lies discrediting the victim or will claim that no such thing happened and the victim must be mentally unbalanced and imagining things or is over sensitive and blowing it all out of proportion. This person (4.5 years older)tried to cook me in the oven, suffocate me in my bed and thew me over a wall fracturing my skull before she was 9 years old. She knew she was different and told me she was an alien because she didn't feel like the rest of us. I have been befriended, manipulated, deceived and betrayed over and over again.I am not stupid but it took me 42 years to understand what was going on. Thanks to www.bullyonline.org I had tried so hard to be reasonable and understanding that I had believed her lies and blamed myself. Do you really think you would recognise one after just a brief meeting or aquaintance? They can be charming, friendly, smiling, appear to be listening and interested, say all the right things but it is all an act, a mask that is worn to appear normal. This person is working as a nurse in a GPs practice. She has also worked in hospitals with responsibility for patients and students. She has told me that her patients tell her what a lovely person she is. I know how potentially dangerous and psychologically destructive she is but can do nothing about it,I can't prove it. At the very least all public servants and politicians should be screened as a condition of employment. All identified psychopaths should be removed from society until a FOOL-PROOF treatment is found.