Structural abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex and its association with psychopathic traits in adolescents

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.