The prefrontal temporo-limbic circuit is thought to be responsible for the impulsive behavior of the psychopath. The brain of a psychopath shows less connections between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the amygdala . These connections are responsible for unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and guilt. They also cause empathy and feelings of guilt when one thinks that he has done wrong. The lining of the amygdala is thinner in the mind of the psychopsth. There are also increased connections between the dorsomedial frontal cortex and the ventral striatum.
The psychopath also has an increased volume of large grey matter in the prefrontal cortex. (Leutgeb et al., 2015). The structural integrity of the white matter fibers was also significantly reduced. These fibers connect the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Coordination between the two areas is also less. This is according to results shown on a functional magnetic resonance image that was mapping brain activity. An increased amount of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex also indicated a decrease in self-control and decision making. The left middle frontal gyrus also has greater interconnectivity with the right inferior frontal gyrus.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The posterior hippocampal volume is also decreased in volume. This lowered volume is slightly lower in criminals that were not successful. The asymmetry of the hippocampus is also increased, and the asymmetry in the callosal white matter is increased. Both these volumes are not the same as those in people not diagnosed as psychopaths (Poeppl et al., 2018). There was also reduced grey matter in the temporal poles. (Poeppl et al., 2018)
Psychopathic people also show more activity during stimulus that is expected to cause pain. The psychopath imagined pain but replaced the feeling with empathy. The increased response in the is played out as empathy . This is because the psychopath imagines the pain of his victim and projects the pain reflex. This feels like pleasure to the psychopath who has impaired cognitive function.
References
Leutgeb, V., Leitner, M., Wabnegger, A., Klug, D., Scharmüller, W., Zussner, T., & Schienle, A. (2015). Brain abnormalities in high-risk violent offenders and their association with psychopathic traits and criminal recidivism. Neuroscience, 308, 194-201.
Poeppl, T. B., Donges, M. R., Mokros, A., Rupprecht, R., Fox, P. T., Laird, A. R., & Eickhoff, S. B. (2018). A view behind the mask of sanity: meta-analysis of aberrant brain activity in psychopaths. Molecular psychiatry, 1.
