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Brain abnormalities in murderers indicated by positron emission tomography
A Raine1, M Buchsbaum, L LaCasse
1Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089-1061, USA.
Biological Psychiatry
|September 15, 1997
Summary
Murderers pleading not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) show reduced brain activity in key areas like the prefrontal cortex. These findings suggest a network of brain dysfunction may be linked to violent behavior in this group.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Forensic Psychology
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Individuals pleading not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) are often presumed to have underlying brain dysfunction.
- Previous research has lacked direct neuroimaging evidence of both cortical and subcortical brain function in NGRI murderers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in brain functioning between murderers pleading NGRI and matched controls.
- To identify specific patterns of cortical and subcortical brain activity associated with NGRI pleas.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain imaging.
- Employed a continuous performance challenge task during imaging.
- Compared 41 NGRI murderers with 41 age- and sex-matched controls.
Main Results:
- NGRI murderers exhibited reduced glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, superior parietal gyrus, left angular gyrus, and corpus callosum.
- Abnormal brain activity asymmetries (left < right hemisphere) were observed in the amygdala, thalamus, and medial temporal lobe.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary evidence suggests a network of abnormal cortical and subcortical brain processes in NGRI murderers.
- These brain abnormalities may potentially predispose individuals to violent behavior.