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Lukkarinen L, Tuisku J, Sun L, Helin S, Karlsson HK, Venetjoki N, Salomaa M, Rautio P, Hirvonen J, Lauerma H, Tiihonen J, Nummenmaa L. Aberrant type 2 dopamine receptor availability in violent offenders with psychopathy. Neuroimage 2024:120724. [PMID: 38971486 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy is characterized by antisocial behavior, poor behavioral control and lacking empathy, and structural alterations in the corresponding neural circuits. Molecular brain basis of psychopathy remains poorly characterized. Here we studied type 2 dopamine receptor (D2R) and mu-opioid receptor (MOR) availability in convicted violent offenders with high psychopathic traits (n=11) and healthy matched controls (n=17) using positron emission tomography (PET). D2R were measured with radioligand [11C]raclopride and MORs with radioligand [11C]carfentanil. Psychopathic subjects had lowered D2R availability in caudate and putamen, and striatal D2R availability was also associated with degree of psychopathic traits in this prisoner sample. No group differences were found in MOR availability, although in the prisoner sample, psychopathic traits were negatively correlated with MOR availability in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. We conclude that D2R signaling could be the putative neuromolecular pathway for psychopathy, whereas evidence for alterations in the MOR system is more limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse Lukkarinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Finland; Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners
| | | | - Lihua Sun
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Semi Helin
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Finland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Finland.
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Lu J, Gou N, Sun Q, Huang Y, Guo H, Han D, Zhou J, Wang X. Brain structural alterations associated with impulsiveness in male violent patients with schizophrenia. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:281. [PMID: 38622613 PMCID: PMC11017613 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05721-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Violence in schizophrenia (SCZ) is a phenomenon associated with neurobiological factors. However, the neural mechanisms of violence in patients with SCZ are not yet sufficiently understood. Thus, this study aimed to explore the structural changes associated with the high risk of violence and its association with impulsiveness in patients with SCZ to reveal the possible neurobiological basis. METHOD The voxel-based morphometry approach and whole-brain analyses were used to measure the alteration of gray matter volume (GMV) for 45 schizophrenia patients with violence (VSC), 45 schizophrenia patients without violence (NSC), and 53 healthy controls (HC). Correlation analyses were used to examine the association of impulsiveness and brain regions associated with violence. RESULTS The results demonstrated reduced GMV in the right insula within the VSC group compared with the NSC group, and decreased GMV in the right temporal pole and left orbital part of superior frontal gyrus only in the VSC group compared to the HC group. Spearman correlation analyses further revealed a positive correlation between impulsiveness and GMV of the left superior temporal gyrus, bilateral insula and left medial orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus in the VSC group. CONCLUSION Our findings have provided further evidence for structural alterations in patients with SCZ who had engaged in severe violence, as well as the relationship between the specific brain alterations and impulsiveness. This work provides neural biomarkers and improves our insight into the neural underpinnings of violence in patients with SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntao Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Ningzhi Gou
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Xi 'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Qiaoling Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Huijuan Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Dian Han
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Jiansong Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
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Thatcher AS, Wallace L, Fido D. Psychopathic Personality as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Atypical Sexuality and Sexual Coercion Proclivity in the General Population. SEXUAL ABUSE : A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2023:10790632231205799. [PMID: 37856577 DOI: 10.1177/10790632231205799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Being sexually coerced can have long-lasting psychological impacts on victims; with perpetration strongly predicted by elevated psychopathic traits. Owing to recent legislative developments in the United Kingdom that criminalize coercive control under the Domestic Abuse Act (2021), this study offers a timely investigation into the mechanisms of sexual coercion in domestic abuse across sexual abuse and coercive control. We used moderation analysis (n = 405) to investigate whether sexual coercion proclivity was predicted by facets of atypical sexuality (non-clinical elevated levels of sex drive, sexual sadism, and sexual masochism), and whether this relationship was moderated by psychopathic personality traits specifically the factor one components, which encompasses interpersonal and affective characteristics. Psychopathic personality traits significantly moderated the positive association between sex drive and sexual coercion proclivity, and between sexual sadism and sexual coercion proclivity in males (but not females), but psychopathic personality traits had no such moderating effect in the sexual masochism model. Results are discussed in terms of identifying risk factors of sexual coercion within a general population sample and international application. Open data and a preprint of this paper are available at [https://osf.io/xkcah/?view_only=134ff9c93ad24ba286515b348ce79c0c].
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Louise Wallace
- University of Derby, Derby, UK
- University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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Challakere Ramaswamy VM, Butler T, Ton B, Wilhelm K, Mitchell PB, Knight L, Greenberg D, Ellis A, Gebski V, Schofield PW. Neuropsychiatric correlates of olfactory identification and traumatic brain injury in a sample of impulsive violent offenders. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1254574. [PMID: 37842698 PMCID: PMC10570745 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1254574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Olfactory deficits have a diverse etiology and can be detected with simple olfactory tests. Key olfactory pathways are located within the frontal and temporal lobes where they are vulnerable to damage due to head trauma. Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) integrity is important for olfaction and aspects of behavioral regulation. We measured olfactory identification ability in a sample of impulsive violent offenders to determine its associations with history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a range of neuropsychiatric indices, including proxies for cognitive ability, impulsivity and social connectedness. Methods Male participants were drawn from the ReINVEST study, a randomized controlled trial of sertraline to reduce recidivism in violent impulsive offenders. Criteria for participation in the study included a minimum age of 18 years, a documented history of two or more violent offenses, and a score of 70 or above on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). The 16-item "Sniffin sticks" (SS) odor identification test (OI) was administered as were standardized questionnaires regarding previous TBI, additional measures to screen cognition [word reading test of the Wechsler Individuals Achievement Test (WIAT), social connectedness (the Duke Social Support Scale), and a range of other neuropsychiatric conditions or symptoms]. The sample SS scores were compared against published age-specific norms. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with SS score (linear regression, within those without hyposmia) or hyposmia (logistic regression) as the outcome. Results The mean OI scores were lower than population norms and 16% of participants were classified as hyposmic. Univariate analyses showed associations of SS score with age, WIAT score, impulsivity, TBI and TBI severity, social connectedness, childhood sexual abuse, suicidality and current use of heroin. In multivariate analyses, age, TBI severity and WIAT remained as significant independent predictors of SS score (within the normosmic range) or hyposmia (logistic regression). Conclusion Olfactory performance was associated with multiple behavioral phenomena in a pattern that would be consistent with this serving as a proxy for orbitofrontal functioning. As such, OI testing may have utility in further studies of offenders. In future, we will examine whether olfactory score predicts recidivism or response to the administration of sertraline, in terms of reducing recidivism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tony Butler
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bianca Ton
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kay Wilhelm
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Lee Knight
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David Greenberg
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, Matraville, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Ellis
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, Matraville, NSW, Australia
| | - Val Gebski
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter William Schofield
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Neuropsychiatry Service, Hunter New England Mental Health, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Santavirta S, Karjalainen T, Nazari-Farsani S, Hudson M, Putkinen V, Seppälä K, Sun L, Glerean E, Hirvonen J, Karlsson HK, Nummenmaa L. Functional organization of social perception in the human brain. Neuroimage 2023; 272:120025. [PMID: 36958619 PMCID: PMC10112277 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans rapidly extract diverse and complex information from ongoing social interactions, but the perceptual and neural organization of the different aspects of social perception remains unresolved. We showed short movie clips with rich social content to 97 healthy participants while their haemodynamic brain activity was measured with fMRI. The clips were annotated moment-to-moment for a large set of social features and 45 of the features were evaluated reliably between annotators. Cluster analysis of the social features revealed that 13 dimensions were sufficient for describing the social perceptual space. Three different analysis methods were used to map the social perceptual processes in the human brain. Regression analysis mapped regional neural response profiles for different social dimensions. Multivariate pattern analysis then established the spatial specificity of the responses and intersubject correlation analysis connected social perceptual processing with neural synchronization. The results revealed a gradient in the processing of social information in the brain. Posterior temporal and occipital regions were broadly tuned to most social dimensions and the classifier revealed that these responses showed spatial specificity for social dimensions; in contrast Heschl gyri and parietal areas were also broadly associated with different social signals, yet the spatial patterns of responses did not differentiate social dimensions. Frontal and subcortical regions responded only to a limited number of social dimensions and the spatial response patterns did not differentiate social dimension. Altogether these results highlight the distributed nature of social processing in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Santavirta
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
| | - Tomi Karjalainen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Sanaz Nazari-Farsani
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Matthew Hudson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Vesa Putkinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Kerttu Seppälä
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Lihua Sun
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland
| | - Jussi Hirvonen
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Medical Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Henry K Karlsson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Ploe ML, Berluti K, Ibonie SG, Villanueva CM, Marsh A, Gruber J. Psychopathy and Associations with Reward Responsiveness and Social Networks in Emerging Adults. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2023.104357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
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Psychopathic and autistic traits differentially influence the neural mechanisms of social cognition from communication signals. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:494. [PMID: 36446775 PMCID: PMC9709037 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02260-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy is associated with severe deviations in social behavior and cognition. While previous research described such cognitive and neural alterations in the processing of rather specific social information from human expressions, some open questions remain concerning central and differential neurocognitive deficits underlying psychopathic behavior. Here we investigated three rather unexplored factors to explain these deficits, first, by assessing psychopathy subtypes in social cognition, second, by investigating the discrimination of social communication sounds (speech, non-speech) from other non-social sounds, and third, by determining the neural overlap in social cognition impairments with autistic traits, given potential common deficits in the processing of communicative voice signals. The study was exploratory with a focus on how psychopathic and autistic traits differentially influence the function of social cognitive and affective brain networks in response to social voice stimuli. We used a parametric data analysis approach from a sample of 113 participants (47 male, 66 female) with ages ranging between 18 and 40 years (mean 25.59, SD 4.79). Our data revealed four important findings. First, we found a phenotypical overlap between secondary but not primary psychopathy with autistic traits. Second, primary psychopathy showed various neural deficits in neural voice processing nodes (speech, non-speech voices) and in brain systems for social cognition (mirroring, mentalizing, empathy, emotional contagion). Primary psychopathy also showed deficits in the basal ganglia (BG) system that seems specific to the social decoding of communicative voice signals. Third, neural deviations in secondary psychopathy were restricted to social mirroring and mentalizing impairments, but with additional and so far undescribed deficits at the level of auditory sensory processing, potentially concerning deficits in ventral auditory stream mechanisms (auditory object identification). Fourth, high autistic traits also revealed neural deviations in sensory cortices, but rather in the dorsal auditory processing streams (communicative context encoding). Taken together, social cognition of voice signals shows considerable deviations in psychopathy, with differential and newly described deficits in the BG system in primary psychopathy and at the neural level of sensory processing in secondary psychopathy. These deficits seem especially triggered during the social cognition from vocal communication signals.
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Chester SC, Ogawa T, Terao M, Nakai R, Abe N, De Brito SA. Cortical and subcortical grey matter correlates of psychopathic traits in a Japanese community sample of young adults: sex and configurations of factors’ level matter! Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5043-5054. [PMID: 36300595 PMCID: PMC10151884 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
While neuroimaging research has examined the structural brain correlates of psychopathy predominantly in clinical/forensic male samples from western countries, much less is known about those correlates in non-western community samples. Here, structural magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed using voxel- and surface-based morphometry to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of psychopathic traits in a mixed-sex sample of 97 well-functioning Japanese adults (45 males, 21–39 years; M = 27, SD = 5.3). Psychopathic traits were assessed using the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-SF; 4th Edition). Multiple regression analysis showed greater Factor 1 scores were associated with higher gyrification in the lingual gyrus, and gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala/hippocampus border. Total psychopathy and Factor 1 scores interacted with sex to, respectively, predict cortical thickness in the precuneus and gyrification in the superior temporal gyrus. Finally, Factor 1 and Factor 2 traits interacted to predict gyrification in the posterior cingulate cortex. These preliminary data suggest that, while there may be commonalities in the loci of structural brain correlates of psychopathic traits in clinical/forensic and community samples, the nature of that association might be different (i.e. positive) and may vary according to sex and configurations of factors’ level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally C Chester
- University of Birmingham Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, , Birmingham, UK
| | - Tatsuyoshi Ogawa
- Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Division of Transdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Technology, , Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Maki Terao
- Institute for the Future of Human Society , Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Nakai
- Institute for the Future of Human Society , Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Abe
- Institute for the Future of Human Society , Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Stephane A De Brito
- University of Birmingham Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, , Birmingham, UK
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Deming P, Heilicher M, Koenigs M. How reliable are amygdala findings in psychopathy? A systematic review of MRI studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104875. [PMID: 36116578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a key component in predominant neural circuitry models of psychopathy. Yet, after two decades of neuroimaging research on psychopathy, the reproducibility of amygdala findings is questionable. We systematically reviewed MRI studies (81 of adults, 53 of juveniles) to determine the consistency of amygdala findings across studies, as well as within specific types of experimental tasks, community versus forensic populations, and the lowest- versus highest-powered studies. Three primary findings emerged. First, the majority of studies found null relationships between psychopathy and amygdala structure and function, even in the context of theoretically relevant tasks. Second, findings of reduced amygdala activity were more common in studies with low compared to high statistical power. Third, the majority of peak coordinates of reduced amygdala activity did not fall primarily within the anatomical bounds of the amygdala. Collectively, these findings demonstrate significant gaps in the empirical support for the theorized role of the amygdala in psychopathy and indicate the need for novel research perspectives and approaches in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Deming
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Mickela Heilicher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd., Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Michael Koenigs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd., Madison, WI 53719, USA
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Gou N, Lu J, Zhang S, Liang X, Guo H, Sun Q, Zhou J, Wang X. Structural Deficits in the Frontotemporal Network Associated With Psychopathic Traits in Violent Offenders With Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:846838. [PMID: 35492688 PMCID: PMC9039223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.846838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
People with schizophrenia (SZ) are at increased risk of violence compared to the general population. However, the neural mechanisms of violent behavior in patients with SZ are still unclear due to the heterogeneity of the diseased population. In this study, we aimed to examine the neural correlates of violent behavior in SZ and to determine whether the structural deficits were related to psychopathic traits. A total of 113 participants, including 31 SZ patients with violent behavior (vSZ), 39 SZ patients without violent behavior (nvSZ), and 43 healthy controls (HC), completed the T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry approach. The psychopathic traits were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV). The results showed decreased gray matter volume (GMV) in the vSZ group in the right temporal lobe and bilateral inferior frontal gyri compared to HCs; while reduced GMV in the inferior parietal lobe, parahippocampal and orbital frontal gyri was found in the nvSZ group compared with HCs. Correlation analyses showed that psychopathic traits were negatively associated with the GMV in the right superior temporal and left fusiform gyri in the vSZ group, indicating that psychopathic traits, as reflected by the score of antisocial factor, might be related to structural deficits in the temporal lobe, which led to a propensity to violent behavior in patients with SZ. Our findings suggest that violent behavior in patients with SZ might have a personality background associated with the frontotemporal network aberrance. In future studies, we need to take a closer look at psychopathic traits for better understanding of the mechanism of interpersonal violence in patients with SZ and to explore whether the imaging findings from this study can serve as a biomarker to predict future violent behaviors and community living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningzhi Gou
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Juntao Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Simei Zhang
- Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoxi Liang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huijuan Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiaoling Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiansong Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
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Noppari T, Sun L, Lukkarinen L, Putkinen V, Tani P, Lindberg N, Saure E, Lauerma H, Tiihonen J, Venetjoki N, Salomaa M, Rautio P, Hirvonen J, Salmi J, Nummenmaa L. Brain structural alterations in autism and criminal psychopathy. NEUROIMAGE: CLINICAL 2022; 35:103116. [PMID: 35872437 PMCID: PMC9421457 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism and psychopathy are both disorders of social cognition and share numerous of their features but still differ distinctively in their clinical phenotype. The lower grey matter volumes in the right temporal pole and the left inferior frontal gyrus are the most prominent findings distinguishing violent offenders with high psychopatic from ASD individuals. Violent offenders with high psychopatic traits and individuals with ASD both present similar lower grey matter volumes in the right precentral cortex compared to controls.
The goal of this study was to elucidate the anatomical brain basis of social cognition through two disorders with distinctively different phenotypes of social interaction. We compared structural MR images of 20 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 19 violent offenders with high psychopathic traits, and 19 control participants using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Our earlier study showed lower grey matter volume (GMV) values in the insula, frontal cortex, and sensorimotor cortex of the offender group compared to controls. In the present study, the images of the ASD group revealed lower GMV in the left precuneus, right cerebellum, and right precentral gyrus in comparison with controls. The comparison between the offender and ASD groups showed lower GMV values for the right temporal pole and left inferior frontal gyrus in the offender group. There was also an overlap of both disorders in the right pre-central cortex, showing lower GMV compared to controls. Our findings suggest structural differences between violent offenders with high psychopathy traits and ASD individuals in the frontotemporal social brain network areas, previously associated with empathy. We also provide evidence of similar abnormal structures in the motor cortex for both of these disorders, possibly related to uniting issues of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomo Noppari
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Lihua Sun
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Vesa Putkinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Pekka Tani
- Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nina Lindberg
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emma Saure
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; BABA Center and Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannu Lauerma
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Turku University Central Hospital, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Niina Venetjoki
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland
| | - Marja Salomaa
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland
| | - Päivi Rautio
- Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Health Care Services for Prisoners, Turku, Finland
| | - Jussi Hirvonen
- Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Juha Salmi
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Miglin R, Rodriguez S, Bounoua N, Sadeh N. A Multidimensional Examination of Psychopathy Traits and Gray Matter Volume in Adults. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:662-672. [PMID: 34878140 PMCID: PMC9250300 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the neurobiological abnormalities that may contribute to the manifestation of psychopathic traits is an important step toward understanding the etiology of this disorder. Although many studies have examined gray matter volume (GMV) in relation to psychopathy, few have examined how dimensions of psychopathic traits interactively relate to GMV, an approach that holds promise for parsing heterogeneity in neurobiological risk factors for this disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the affective-interpersonal (Factor 1) and impulsive-antisocial (Factor 2) dimensions of psychopathy in relation to cortical surface and subcortical GMV in a mixed-gender, high-risk community sample with significant justice-system involvement (N = 156, 50.0% men). Cortex-wide analysis indicated that (i) the Factor 1 traits correlated negatively with GMV in two cortical clusters, one in the right rostral middle frontal region and one in the occipital lobe, and (ii) the interaction of the affective-interpersonal and impulsive-antisocial traits was negatively associated with GMV bilaterally in the parietal lobe, such that individuals high on both trait dimensions evidenced reduced GMV relative to individuals high on only one psychopathy factor. An interactive effect also emerged for bilateral amygdalar and hippocampal GMV, such that Factor 1 psychopathic traits were significantly negatively associated with GMV only at high (but not low) levels of Factor 2 traits. Results extend prior research by demonstrating the neurobiological correlates of psychopathy differ based on the presentation of Factor 1 and 2 traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rickie Miglin
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Samantha Rodriguez
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Nadia Bounoua
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Naomi Sadeh
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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