Psychopaths Have Brain Structure Abnormality

mmmscience writes "A group of scientists has identified a structure in the brain of psychopaths that is abnormal when compared with controls. The change is found in the uncinate fasciculus, a bridge of white matter that connects the amygdala (emotion/aggression brain region) and the orbitofrontal cortex (decision making region). Interestingly, the greater the abnormality in the region, the more severe the levels of sociopathy in a subject. The results were published as 'Altered connections on the road to psychopathy' in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. A researcher on the team suggests the finding could have considerable implications in the world of criminal justice, where such scans could one day be presented as evidence in a trial." The study's results have not yet been replicated by other researchers.

Comments

Psychopath != Sociopath

[Smoke2Joints]

Sometimes they occur together, but this is not always the case.

Re:Psychopath != Sociopath

[Life2Short]

Not sure where you got that from. The difference in terms can be traced back to different theoretical perspectives on the same set of symptoms. Over time, the pendulum has shifted back and forth regarding whether the symptoms were the responsibility of the individual or the social environment the individual was raised in. If you think antisocial personality disorder is the result of individual choices or some sort of illness, you may be more likely to use the term psychopath. If you think that the symptoms are the result of a person's social environment, you may be more likely to use sociopath. The terms themselves do not denote two recognized different disorders. Check out DSM for definition of Antisocial Personality Disorder, or there's always Wikipedia.

Re:Psychopath != Sociopath

[electrons_are_brave]

"Psychopath" was a term introduced in 1888 by German Psychiatrist Koch. It just meant someone with a psychopathology (i.e. a mental illness not otherwise named - a very broad category.

It's meaning was dramatically narrowed in 1928 when the psychologist Partridge redefined it to mean people who were anti-social, egocentric, manipulative etc. In 1930, Partridge further proposed that it be replaced with the term "sociopathy". He later proposed that that the two terms could be used to disctinguih between people who had a genetic disorder (psychopath) or an environmentally produced disorder (sociopath).

(From: The psychopath By Hugues Hervé, John C. Yuille).

The terms aren't used diagnostically, at least not where I am. In my neck of the woods, it's "narcisistic personality disorder" for those who have no criminal activity and "antisocial personality disorder" for those who do. Which I find very much a 19th Century way of looking at it - a diagnosis based on a moral distinction.

Re:Psychopath != Sociopath

[Gerzel]

Brain structures are not genetic in all cases.

Re:Psychopath != Sociopath

[MindlessAutomata]

The terms aren't used diagnostically, at least not where I am. In my neck of the woods, it's "narcisistic personality disorder" for those who have no criminal activity and "antisocial personality disorder" for those who do.

Incorrect. They are related disorders, but the criteria is not the same. From wikipedia, which lists the DSM-IVTR:

APD - 3 or more of the following

1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
      2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
      3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
      4. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
      5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
      6. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
      7. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.

NPD - A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance
      2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty or ideal love (megalomania)
      3. Believes they are "special" and can only be understood by, or should associate with, people (or institutions) who are also "special" or of high status
      4. Requires excessive admiration
      5. Has a sense of entitlement
      6. Is interpersonally exploitative
      7. Lacks empathy
      8. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
      9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Note that the DSM-IVTR, more appropriately, is not the be-all end-all of diagnosing but is more of a guidebook and a way to standardize diagnoses. Notice that criminal activity is not necessarily a factor in rendering either diagnosis. Next time, inform yourself before spreading misinformation. NPD is characterized more by a self-centeredness, APD is characterized more by a willingness to hurt or use others for personal gain. These are not the same things.

Re:Psychopath != Sociopath

[Hasai]

I think I can put this into a nutshell for you:

A psychopath shoots you because the voices in his head told him to.

A sociopath shoots you because he wanted to function-check his weapon.

Causal, Relational, Caused By, or Correlation?

[CFD339]

A much larger study is going to be needed to see if having this deformity is (a) unique to psychopaths, and (b) always present in them. If that's the case, great. A screening can be done early. If not, it sounds like a pretty scary way to lock people up in advance of them doing anything (which itself is a very very bad idea).

Re:Psychopathy is terminal

[Bobb9000]

I'm not a psychiatrist, but I believe you may be thinking of this study and its precursors: Rice, M. (1997). Violent offender research and implications for the criminal justice system. American Psychologist, 52(4), 414-423. At least, a number of sources seem to cite to it for this claim, which is actually very interesting. One explanation was that the therapy served to increase the subjects' sense of self-worth and confidence, which made them even more dangerous. For them, only medication seemed to do any good. If the research the article describes can add more options, that seems to me like a good thing.