ISSN : 2093-3843
The purpose of this study was to investigate brain studies of individuals with psychopathy. Previous studies using brain imaging were reviewed with pivotal research results in brain structure/function of psychopaths. Reduced volumes in prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, and amygdala have been reported in psychopathy. Psychopaths showed abnormal brain function in prefrontal lobe, reduced amygdala activity in emotional processing, and increased striatum activity during reward processing. Functional and structural studies provide support for dysfunction in fronto-limbic circuits of psychopathy. Psychopathy has been reported as a disorder of the moral brain by a significant number of researchers. Abnormalities of fronto-limbic networks may be associated with impulsiveness, aggression, callous-unemotional traits, and problems of moral socialization. The limitations of the studies and directions for the future research were discussed.
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