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Structural abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex and its association with psychopathic traits in adolescents
Author(s)
Date Issued
2019
Citation
Huang, Y., Lam, Y. H., & Gao, Y. (2019 Mar 22). Structural abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex and its association with psychopathic traits in adolescents. SAS 2019, Boston, MA.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
The presence of externalizing behavior and psychopathic traits during youth
are considered precursors to later criminal offending in adulthood. Individuals
that exhibit these severe and
chronic behavioral and personality characteristics account for over half the
crime occurring in the United States by the time they are adults. Structural
abnormalities in the brain, particularly in the frontal lobe, of incarcerated
psychopaths have been well documented. However, the neural correlates
underlying antisocial behavior and psychopathy in younger and nonclinical
samples remain poorly understood. In this longitudinal study, preliminary
structural brain imaging data from a small group of 12- to 14- year old healthy
adolescents (n = 29) will be examined. Childhood psychopathic traits were
reported by caregivers when the youth were 8- to 10- years old and at the
MRI follow-up. Our results showed that the psychopathic traits significantly
predicted later reduced (narcissism) and increased (impulsivity) gray matter
volumes in the left lOFC, while the callous, uncaring and unemotional traits
significantly predicted increased gray matter volumes in the right mOFC. These
findings help us better understand the relationship between abnormalities in
the brain (particularly in the OFC) and psychopathy in adolescence, which is
essential to the designing and development of intervention measures in order
to mitigate the occurrence of crime in adulthood.
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