Neurocriminology: implications for the punishment, prediction and prevention of criminal behaviour

Gray matter volume differences in intimate partner violence perpetrators and its role in explaining dropout and recidivism

AIM

Psychological instruments that are employed to adequately explain treatment compliance and recidivism of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators present a limited ability and certain biases. Therefore, it becomes necessary to incorporate new techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to be able to surpass those limitations and measure central nervous system characteristics to explain dropout (premature abandonment of intervention) and recidivism.

METHOD

The main objectives of this study were: 1) to assess whether IPV perpetrators (n = 60) showed differences in terms of their brain's regional gray matter volume (GMV) when compared to a control group of non-violent men (n = 57); 2) to analyze whether the regional GMV of IPV perpetrators before starting a tailored intervention program explain treatment compliance (dropout) and recidivism rate.

RESULTS

IPV perpetrators presented increased GMV in the cerebellum and the occipital, temporal, and subcortical brain regions compared to controls. There were also bilateral differences in the occipital pole and subcortical structures (thalamus, and putamen), with IPV perpetrators presenting reduced GMV in the above-mentioned brain regions compared to controls. Moreover, while a reduced GMV of the left pallidum explained dropout, a considerable number of frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, subcortical and limbic regions added to dropout to explain recidivism.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found that certain brain structures not only distinguished IPV perpetrators from controls but also played a role in explaining dropout and recidivism. Given the multifactorial nature of IPV perpetration, it is crucial to combine neuroimaging techniques with other psychological instruments to effectively create risk profiles of IPV perpetrators.

Psychopathy and medial frontal cortex: A systematic review reveals predominantly null relationships

Theories have posited that psychopathy is caused by dysfunction in the medial frontal cortex, including ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). Recent reviews have questioned the reproducibility of neuroimaging findings within this field. We conducted a systematic review to describe the consistency of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings according to anatomical subregion (vmPFC, ACC, dmPFC), experimental task, psychopathy assessment, study power, and peak coordinates of significant effects. Searches of PsycInfo and MEDLINE databases produced 77 functional and 24 structural MRI studies that analyzed the medial frontal cortex in relation to psychopathy in adult samples. Findings were predominantly null (85.4 % of 1573 tests across the three medial frontal regions). Studies with higher power observed null effects at marginally lower rates. Finally, peak coordinates of significant effects were widely dispersed. The evidence failed to support theories positing the medial frontal cortex as a consistent neural correlate of psychopathy. Theory and methods in the field should be revised to account for predominantly null neuroimaging findings.

A multifaceted approach to identifying and managing juvenile delinquency by integrating psycho-physiological indicators

To understand and treat juvenile delinquency, the study explores the relevance of psycho-physiological indicators. It also emphasizes the necessity for thorough research to minimize the gap existing between psycho-physiological measurements and conventional psychosocial components. The study focuses on the relevance of personality features, habituation, and autonomic arousal required to monitor the proper management of delinquent conduct. Through the integration of biological, psychological, and social elements into a multidimensional approach, researchers can uncover novel insights and create cutting-edge therapies for youths who are at risk of delinquent behavior. The study proposes to develop a comprehensive framework that considers biological antecedents in addition to conventional metrics to reach the root cause of delinquency; thereby drawing special attention to current literature and research that emphasizes the psycho-physiological correlates of delinquency. By examining the complex interactions between stress, physiology, emotions, behavior, and social structures, the study highlights the intricacy of delinquent conduct and the necessity for adopting a multifaceted strategy to fully address the problematic areas. Future research paths are emphasized, with a focus on the significance of longitudinal studies, moderating and mediating variables, and creative treatment techniques. By utilizing psycho-physiological markers and psychosocial traits, researchers can tailor intervention strategies to meet individual needs effectively. Early identification of psycho-physiological deficits in children is crucial for implementing successful behavior modification techniques and promoting the well-being of future generations. This is expected to help the government agencies to save time and public money.

Bio-behavioral scientific evidence alters judges' sentencing decision-making: A quantitative analysis

The present study surveyed judges to examine how they consider and apply scientific information during sentencing determinations. Judges in criminal courts are increasingly asked to assess and make decisions based on evidence surrounding psychiatric disorders, with unclear results on sentencing outcomes. We qualitatively interviewed 34 judges who have presided over criminal cases in 16 different states and also administered vignette surveys during the interviews. We asked them to make sentencing decisions for hypothetical defendants in cases presenting evidence of either no psychiatric disorder, an organic brain disorder, or past trauma, as well as to rate the importance of different goals of sentencing for each case. Results indicated that the case presenting no evidence of a mental health condition received significantly more severe sentences as compared to either psychiatric condition. Judges' ratings of sentencing goals showed that the importance of retribution was a significant mediator of this relationship. Trauma was not deemed to be as mitigating as an organic brain disorder. These results provide unique insights into how judges assess cases and consider sentencing outcomes when presented with scientific information to explicate defendants' behavior. We propose ways forward that may help better integrate scientific understandings of behavior into criminal justice decision-making.

The contribution of brain volume to explain autonomous imbalance during recovery from acute stress in batterers

AIM

Many authors have suggested that intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators present an imbalance between both branches of the autonomous nervous system when coping with acute stress. Concretely, there is a predominance of the sympathetic branches over the parasympathetic ones when recovering from stress. This imbalance can be explained by their tendency toward anger rumination, and more concretely, by their focus on thoughts of revenge during this period. Unfortunately, there is a gap in the scientific literature in terms of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to assess which brain structures would explain this tendency of IPV perpetrators when coping with acute stress.

METHOD

The main objective of this study was to assess whether the gray matter volume (GMV) of relevant brain structures, signaled in previous scientific literature, moderates the association between thoughts of revenge and sympathetic activation during the recovery period, based on skin conductance levels (SCL) after being exposed to stress, in a group of IPV perpetrators (n = 58) and non-violent men (n = 61).

RESULTS

This study highlighted that the GMV of the left nucleus accumbens, right lobules of the cerebellum, and inferior temporal gyrus in IPV perpetrators moderated the association between thoughts of revenge and SCL during the recovery period. Accordingly, the higher the thoughts of revenge, the higher the sympathetic predominance (or higher SCL levels), especially among IPV perpetrators with the lowest GMV of these brain structures. Nonetheless, those variables were unrelated in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the involvement of certain brain structures and how they explain the tendency of some IPV perpetrators to ruminate anger or, more precisely, to focus on thoughts of revenge when they recover from acute stress. These results reinforce the need to incorporate neuroimaging techniques during screening processes to properly understand how IPV perpetrators deal with stress, which in turn helps target their needs and design concrete intervention modules.

Forensic neurology: a distinct subspecialty at the intersection of neurology, neuroscience and law

Neurological evidence is increasingly used in criminal cases to argue that a defendant is less responsible for their behaviour, is not competent to stand trial or should receive a reduced punishment for the crime. Unfortunately, neurologists are rarely involved in such cases despite having the expertise to help to inform these decisions in court. In this Perspective, we advocate for the development of 'forensic neurology', a subspecialty of neurology focused on using neurological clinical and scientific expertise to address legal questions for the criminal justice system. We review literature suggesting that the incidence of criminal behaviour is higher in people with certain neurological disorders than the general public and that undiagnosed neurological abnormalities are common in people who commit crimes. We discuss the need for forensic neurologists in criminal cases to provide an opinion on what neurological diagnoses are present, the resulting symptoms and ultimately whether the symptoms affect legal determinations such as criminal responsibility or competency.

The role of intimate partner violence perpetrators' resting state functional connectivity in treatment compliance and recidivism

To expand the scientific literature on how resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (or the measurement of the strength of the coactivation of two brain regions over a sustained period of time) can be used to explain treatment compliance and recidivism among intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. Therefore, our first aim was to assess whether men convicted of IPV (n = 53) presented different rsFC patterns from a control group of non-violent (n = 47) men. We also analyzed if the rsFC of IPV perpetrators before staring the intervention program could explain treatment compliance and recidivism one year after the intervention ended. The rsFC was measured by applying a whole brain analysis during a resting period, which lasted 45 min. IPV perpetrators showed higher rsFC in the occipital brain areas compared to controls. Furthermore, there was a positive association between the occipital pole (OP) and temporal lobes (ITG) and a negative association between the occipital (e.g., occipital fusiform gyrus, visual network) and both the parietal lobe regions (e.g., supramarginal gyrus, parietal operculum cortex, lingual gyrus) and the putamen in IPV perpetrators. This pattern was the opposite in the control group. The positive association between many of these occipital regions and the parietal, frontal, and temporal regions explained treatment compliance. Conversely, treatment compliance was also explained by a reduced rsFC between the rostral prefrontal cortex and the frontal gyrus and both the occipital and temporal gyrus, and between the temporal and the occipital and cerebellum areas and the sensorimotor superior networks. Last, the enhanced rsFC between the occipital regions and both the cerebellum and temporal gyrus predicted recidivism. Our results highlight that there are specific rsFC patterns that can distinguish IPV perpetrators from controls. These rsFC patterns could be useful to explain treatment compliance and recidivism among IPV perpetrators.

Weakened sympathetic response and lower parasympathetic activity in intimate partner violence perpetrators when empathizing: Influence of autonomous activation in affective approach and prosocial behavior

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning has been proposed as a relevant method to characterize the therapeutic needs of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. Nevertheless, research has neglected the influence of the ANS on socio-affective functions in this population. The aim of the present study was to analyze the psychophysiological activity of IPV perpetrators (n = 52) compared to controls (n = 46) following an empathic induction task, performed through negative emotion-eliciting videos. We employed two general ANS markers (heart rate [HR] and respiratory rate [RR]), two sympathetic-related indexes (pre-ejection period [PEP] and skin conductance level [SCL]) and a parasympathetic biomarker (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]). Additionally, we explored the impact of psychophysiological activity on prosocial behavior using Hare's donation procedure. Compared to controls, IPV perpetrators reported lower HR and SCL following the task, as well as longer PEP, suggesting an attenuated sympathetic response to others' distress. No differences in the RSA response pattern were found, however, IPV perpetrators displayed lower overall RSA levels throughout the protocol, indicative of reduced parasympathetic activity. Besides, while no differences in prosocial performance were observed, greater sympathetic responses and overall parasympathetic activity predicted increased donations across the sample. Thus, a high sympathetic and parasympathetic activity might influence the occurrence of prosocial behavior. The present study provides further evidence supporting that IPV perpetrators cope differently with others' negative emotions. In line with this biopsychosocial perspective, insights are gained on the emotional processing of IPV perpetrators which, in turn, could contribute to improve IPV psychotherapeutic programs.

Examining the relation among callous-unemotional traits and cortisol, alpha-amylase, and testosterone reactivity in legal system involved young men

Elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of empathy, deficient guilt/remorse, and shallow affect) are associated with increased antisociality and distinct patterns of cognitive and emotional functioning. Previous investigations have suggested that deficits in physiological stress responses may underlie these associations, yet few studies simultaneously examine the multiple physiological systems responsible for mounting a stress response. To clarify how individuals with and without elevated CU traits respond to acute stress, the current study examined the association between CU traits and hormones released by three systems: cortisol from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, alpha-amylase from the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and testosterone from hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Specifically, we used fixed effect regression modeling to examine within-individual changes in each biomarker across the administration of a standardized laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) in a sample of 55 justice-involved young men (Mage= 22.84). Results indicated significant within-individual changes in cortisol, alpha-amylase, and testosterone following the stressor among those with low or average CU traits. However, those with high levels of CU exhibited no significant changes in their cortisol and testosterone levels. Furthermore, individuals with high CU traits exhibit an asymmetric stress response, such that alpha-amylase and testosterone levels were not associated with changes in cortisol levels. In sum, elevated CU traits were associated with blunted cortisol and testosterone reactivity and asymmetric response to stress. Additional work is needed to determine the behavioral and treatment implications of this distinct stress response.

A comparative review on neuroethical issues in neuroscientific and neuroethical journals

This study is a pilot literature review that compares the interest of neuroethicists and neuroscientists. It aims to determine whether there is a significant gap between the neuroethical issues addressed in philosophical neuroethics journals and neuroscience journals. We retrieved 614 articles from two specialist neuroethics journals (Neuroethics and AJOB Neuroscience) and 82 neuroethics-focused articles from three specialist neuroscience journals (Neuron, Nature Neuroscience, and Nature Reviews Neuroscience). We classified these articles in light of the neuroethical issue in question before we compared the neuroethical issues addressed in philosophical neuroethics with those addressed by neuroscientists. A notable result is a parallelism between them as a general tendency. Neuroscientific articles cover most neuroethical issues discussed by philosophical ethicists and vice versa. Subsequently, there are notable discrepancies between the two bodies of neuroethics literature. For instance, theoretical questions, such as the ethics of moral enhancement and the philosophical implications of neuroscientific findings on our conception of personhood, are more intensely discussed in philosophical-neuroethical articles. Conversely, neuroscientific articles tend to emphasize practical questions, such as how to successfully integrate ethical perspectives into scientific research projects and justifiable practices of animal-involving neuroscientific research. These observations will help us settle the common starting point of the attempt at "ethics integration" in emerging neuroscience, contributing to better governance design and neuroethical practice.

Network localization of antisocial behavior in neurological patients: Evidence and implications

Antisocial behavior may develop in otherwise normal persons as a result of neurological diseases, including patients with focal brain lesions, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson Disease patients taking dopamine agonist medications. Evidence from these neurological patients demonstrates that antisocial behaviors relate to dysfunction in several different brain regions that form a specific brain network, rather than any single location alone. This network associated with acquired antisocial behavior is involved in social decision-making (measured using moral decision-making tasks) and value-based decision-making (measured using neuroeconomic and reward-based tasks). Collectively, this work supports the hypothesis that antisocial behavior across different neurological diseases results from dysfunction within a common network of brain regions associated with social valuation and decision-making, providing insight into the neural mechanisms leading to acquired antisocial behavior. These findings have important implications, but also important limitations, for understanding criminal behavior in patients with psychopathy, for rehabilitation in criminals, for ethical discussions regarding moral and legal responsibility, and for forensic neurological evaluations in persons accused of crimes.

Social-affective functioning and learning in psychopathy

Psychopathy is a personality construct for which impairments in multiple aspects of social and affective functioning are considered to be central. Individuals with elevated levels of psychopathic traits tend to exhibit maladaptive behaviors that are harmful to themselves and others, and seem to be limited in how they perceive and experience affective states. This chapter provides a brief overview of biopsychological theories and studies of psychopathy targeting impairments in affective processing and behavioral adaptation through learning. Also, current gaps in the literature will be discussed in addition to findings highlighting the need to routinely reexamine the validity and robustness of decades-old views on psychopathy in the light of recent multidisciplinary empirical research. The chapter ends with a short reflection on how alternative views may offer novel insights that may bring significant advances in the study of the biopsychological factors underlying psychopathy.

Dietary interventions, the gut microbiome, and aggressive behavior: Review of research evidence and potential next steps

Research in biosocial criminology and other related disciplines has established links between nutrition and aggressive behavior. In addition to observational studies, randomized trials of nutritional supplements like vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and folic acid provide evidence of the dietary impact on aggression. However, the exact mechanism of the diet-aggression link is not well understood. The current article proposes that the gut microbiome plays an important role in the process, with the microbiota-gut-brain axis serving as such a mediating mechanism between diet and behavior. Based on animal and human studies, this review synthesizes a wide array of research across several academic fields: from the effects of dietary interventions on aggression, to the results of microbiota transplantation on socioemotional and behavioral outcomes, to the connections between early adversity, stress, microbiome, and aggression. Possibilities for integrating the microbiotic perspective with the more traditional, sociologically oriented theories in criminology are discussed, using social disorganization and self-control theories as examples. To extend the existing lines of research further, the article considers harnessing the experimental potential of noninvasive and low-cost dietary interventions to help establish the causal impact of the gut microbiome on aggressive behavior, while adhering to the high ethical standards and modern research requirements. Implications of this research for criminal justice policy and practice are essential: not only can it help determine whether the improved gut microbiome functioning moderates aggressive and violent behavior but also provide ways to prevent and reduce such behavior, alone or in combination with other crime prevention programs.

A jury of scientists: Formal education in biobehavioral sciences reduces the odds of punitive criminal sentencing

This study examines how formal education in biological and behavioral sciences may impact punishment intuitions (views on criminal sentencing, free will, responsibility, and dangerousness) in cases involving neurobiological evidence. In a survey experiment, we compared intuitions between biobehavioral science and non-science university graduates by presenting them with a baseline case without a neurobiological explanation for offending followed by one of two cases with a neurobiological explanation (described as either innate or acquired biological influences to offending). An ordinal logistic regression indicated that both science and non-science graduates selected significantly more severe punishments for the baseline case as compared to when an innate neurobiological explanation for offending was provided. However, across all cases, science graduates selected significantly less severe sentences than non-science graduates, and only science graduates' decisions were mediated by free will and responsibility attributions. Findings are discussed in relation to scientific understandings of behavior, the impact of science education on attitudes towards punishment, and potential criminal-legal implications.

Sympathetic Nervous System Predominance in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators After Coping With Acute Stress

It has been suggested that intimate partner violence (IPV) against women perpetrators present emotional dysregulations when dealing with acute stress, which in turn could help to explain their proneness to violence. Emotional regulation can be objectively measured by means of psychophysiological parameters/variables/indicators of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, such as cardiorespiratory (heart rate [HR], pre-ejection period [PEP] and respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA]) and electrodermal (skin conductance levels [SCL]) signals. Therefore, this study aims to assess whether IPV perpetrators (n = 107) present differential psychophysiological and psychological state changes when coping with an acute cognitive laboratory stressor (a set of cognitive tests performed in front of an expert committee) in comparison with nonviolent men (n = 87). Moreover, the study assesses whether psychological state variables foster the psychophysiological response to acute stress. Our results demonstrate that, compared to nonviolent controls, IPV perpetrators showed higher HR and SCL values, shorter PEP, and lower RSA values during recovery from stress. They also presented higher negative affect (i.e., more anger and worse mood) after stress. Thus, high baseline anger explained the increases in emotional arousal when measured as SCL increases. The present study contributes evidence showing that IPV perpetrators and nonviolent men cope differently with stress. These findings might help forensic science to identify characteristics of violent individuals to establish their therapeutic needs. Furthermore, it would be appropriate to combine psychophysiological measurements with self-reports, thus increasing the reliability of the assessment of violent individuals.

Neurobiology of Female Homicide Perpetrators

Neurobiology of female homicide perpetrators is not well understood. Data from private interviews and examinations of females were re-analyzed comparing those who committed homicide (n = 9); other violent crimes, no known homicide (n = 51); nonviolent crimes, no known violent convictions (n = 49); and noncriminals (n = 12). Homicide perpetrators suffered the most childhood sexual abuse (CSA); most recent abuse; had the most neurological histories, mainly traumatic brain injuries (TBIs); most health care access for abuse-related injuries; lowest AM and PM salivary cortisol; and greatest proportion who committed crime under the influence of alcohol. Only CSA, years since last abuse, TBI, neurological histories, and health care access for abuse-related injuries were significant. Those who committed homicide under the influence of alcohol suffered the most recent abuse and had the lowest AM cortisol and flattest diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) compared with others; though the n precludes determining significance. Amount of time since last abuse, AM cortisol and DCS progressively decreased as crime severity increased; other variables progressively increased as crime severity increased. These preliminary findings suggest that low AM cortisol, flat DCS, greater CSA frequency and severity, recent abuse, TBIs, and health care access for abuse-related injuries could be risk factors for females committing homicide. Further study is needed due to the small n of homicide perpetrators. Abuse victims may be at greater risk for alcohol use and cortisol dysregulation associated with perpetrating violence, especially homicide. Frontal lobe damage from TBIs may decrease ability to control behaviors associated with emotions from the limbic system. Health care providers released these women when their abuse-related injuries were not life-threatening; yet, they were life-threatening for victims of their subsequent homicides. Females accessing health care for abuse-related injuries present a critical opportunity for violent crime prevention interventions.

Juveniles arrested for murder: A latent class analysis of male offenders

Researchers and practitioners have a need for valid and generalizable typologies of juvenile homicide offenders (JHOs) to better understand the heterogeneous nature of JHOs, and use this knowledge to inform prevention efforts. Prior studies of JHOs have typically utilized a clinical approach, which is rich in data but based on small nonrepresentative samples, or relied on larger aggregate datasets which are more reliable but have few measures available. This study aimed to address these limitations by examining the latent heterogeneity (i.e. unapparent differences) in JHOs, their victims, and incident characteristics among more than 40,000 male JHOs arrested in the United States between 1976 and 2016 using latent class analysis, to allow for the objective identification of latent taxonomies. Six distinct subtypes of male JHOs are found in the analysis, which contributes to the theoretical and substantive knowledge base regarding JHOs, and may be used to develop and implement more effective interventions and violence prevention programs for these young offenders.

Psychopathy

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a constellation of affective, interpersonal, lifestyle and antisocial features whose antecedents can be identified in a subgroup of young people showing severe antisocial behaviour. The prevalence of psychopathy in the general population is thought to be ~1%, but is up to 25% in prisoners. The aetiology of psychopathy is complex, with contributions of both genetic and environmental risk factors, and gene-environment interactions and correlations. Psychopathy is characterized by structural and functional brain abnormalities in cortical (such as the prefrontal and insular cortices) and subcortical (for example, the amygdala and striatum) regions leading to neurocognitive disruption in emotional responsiveness, reinforcement-based decision-making and attention. Although no effective treatment exists for adults with psychopathy, preliminary intervention studies targeting key neurocognitive disturbances have shown promising results. Given that psychopathy is often comorbid with other psychiatric disorders and increases the risk of physical health problems, educational and employment failure, accidents and criminality, the identification of children and young people at risk for this personality disorder and preventative work are important. Indeed, interventions that target the antecedents of psychopathic features in children and adolescents have been found to be effective.

Forensic Brain-Reading and Mental Privacy in European Human Rights Law: Foundations and Challenges

A central question in the current neurolegal and neuroethical literature is how brain-reading technologies could contribute to criminal justice. Some of these technologies have already been deployed within different criminal justice systems in Europe, including Slovenia, Italy, England and Wales, and the Netherlands, typically to determine guilt, legal responsibility, or recidivism risk. In this regard, the question arises whether brain-reading could permissibly be used against the person's will. To provide adequate legal protection from such non-consensual brain-reading in the European legal context, ethicists have called for the recognition of a novel fundamental legal right to mental privacy. In this paper, we explore whether these ethical calls for recognising a novel legal right to mental privacy are necessary in the European context. We argue that a right to mental privacy could be derived from, or at least developed within in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, and that introducing an additional fundamental right to protect against (forensic) brain-reading is not necessary. What is required, however, is a specification of the implications of existing rights for particular neurotechnologies and purposes.

Hormonal Differences in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators When They Cope with Acute Stress: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Only a few studies have paid attention to the ability of perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPVAW) against women to cope with acute stress, including hormonal parameters. In fact, previous studies assessed how salivary testosterone (Tsal) and cortisol (Csal) changed after coping with an acute emotional stressor (directly related to IPVAW), and they concluded that an imbalance between the two hormones might be characteristic of these men. Nevertheless, they neglected to examine the role of other hormones, such as salivary oxytocin (OXsal), which also seemed to play an important role in behavioral regulation, and whether this response could be generalized to other types of stress not directly related to IPVAW.

METHODS

This study aims to assess whether IPVAW perpetrators (n = 19) present differential hormonal (Tsal, Csal, OXsal and their ratios) and psychological state (anxiety, anger, and general affect) responses when coping with an acute cognitive laboratory stressor (a set of neuropsychological tests performed in front of an expert committee) in comparison with non-violent men (n = 16). This quasi-experimental study also assessed whether the psychological state variables drive this different hormonal response.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that IPVAW perpetrators had lower Csal and higher Tsal/Csal ratio levels during the post-task period, as well as higher total levels (average) of OXsal than controls. We also found that, only in IPVAW perpetrators, high levels of baseline anxiety and negative affect were related to high rises in Csal during the stress task.

CONCLUSIONS

These data present a background showing that IPVAW perpetrators and non-violent men cope differently with stress. These findings might help to identify idiosyncratic profiles of IPVAW perpetrators that can then be employed to establish their therapeutic needs. Moreover, we reinforced the importance of combining biological markers with self-reports, thus increasing the reliability of these forensic assessments.

Role of Callous and Unemotional (CU) Traits on the Development of Youth with Behavioral Disorders: A Systematic Review

Numerous studies have shown that youth with behavioral disorders (BD) present an increased risk for developing severe and persistent antisocial behaviors in adulthood. Retrospective research notes that not all children and adolescents follow a negative trajectory and explains this heterogeneity in particular by the severity of CU traits. Our study examines how these traits affect the functioning of children and adolescents with BD. Method: A systematic literature review conducted through various databases and using different keywords made it possible to analyze 52 studies published from 2015 to 2020 that measured the bidirectional effects of CU traits on the functioning of young. Results: Out of the 52 studies, 47 analyzed links between CU traits and neurobiological or mental health, 20 examined family and school contexts, eight focused on social adjustment, 10 on social interactions and 19 measured links with cognitive functioning, especially executive functions. Conclusion: Consistent with previous recommendations in the field, our findings emphasize the importance of assessing the presence of UC traits in early childhood to prevent the emergence of comorbid disorders and to target multimodal (early) interventions to influence the life trajectories of youth with high CU traits.

Structural Brain Correlates of the Externalizing Spectrum in Young Adults

The externalizing spectrum, including traits and behaviors such as aggression, reduced inhibitiory control and substance abuse, is associated with altered prefrontal brain morphology. However, the degree to which different manifestations of the externalizing spectrum are associated with distinct or overlapping variations in individual brain morphology is unclear. Here, we therefore used structural magnetic resonance imaging, self-report assessment, and a response inhibition task in a sample of 59 young adults to examine how cortical thickness in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) relate to four different manifestations of the externalizing spectrum: disinhibition, callous aggression, substance abuse, and behavioral inhibitory control. Using Bayesian linear regression models controlling for age, gender, and years of education, we found that the different manifestations of the externalizing spectrum were associated with both distinct and overlapping morphology variations. Specifically, both callous aggression and inhibitory control was associated with increased cortical thickness of the OFC, a region involved in reward processing, decision-making, and regulation of anxiety and fear. Both disinhibition and substance abuse were associated with DLPFC thickness, although with opposite association patterns, possibly reflecting processes related to inhibitory control, working memory and attention. Moreover, disinhibition, but not callous aggression or substance abuse, was associated with behavioral inhibitory control. Our results provide further support for the link between externalizing behaviors and prefrontal brain morphology, while identifying distinct prefrontal areas associated with different clinically relevant manifestations. These findings may help guide further research aimed at developing novel treatment and intervention strategies for externalizing behaviors and disorders.

Inside the brain of a killer: the ethics of neuroimaging in a criminal conviction

With neuroimaging techniques being taken out of the lab and into the court, we ask whether brain scans can - or should - be used to explain a criminal act.

Translational Application of a Neuro-Scientific Multi-Modal Approach Into Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation: Why and How?

A prominent body of literature indicates that insanity evaluations, which are intended to provide influential expert reports for judges to reach a decision "beyond any reasonable doubt," suffer from a low inter-rater reliability. This paper reviews the limitations of the classical approach to insanity evaluation and the criticisms to the introduction of neuro-scientific approach in court. Here, we explain why in our opinion these criticisms, that seriously hamper the translational implementation of neuroscience into the forensic setting, do not survive scientific scrutiny. Moreover, we discuss how the neuro-scientific multimodal approach may improve the inter-rater reliability in insanity evaluation. Critically, neuroscience does not aim to introduce a brain-based concept of insanity. Indeed, criteria for responsibility and insanity are and should remain clinical. Rather, following the falsificationist approach and the convergence of evidence principle, the neuro-scientific multimodal approach is being proposed as a way to improve reliability of insanity evaluation and to mitigate the influence of cognitive biases on the formulation of insanity opinions, with the final aim to reduce errors and controversies.

Trait Disinhibition and NoGo Event-Related Potentials in Violent Mentally Disordered Offenders and Healthy Controls

Trait disinhibition may function as a dispositional liability toward maladaptive behaviors relevant in the treatment of mentally disordered offenders (MDOs). Reduced amplitude and prolonged latency of the NoGo N2 and P3 event-related potentials have emerged as promising candidates for transdiagnostic, biobehavioral markers of trait disinhibition, yet no study has specifically investigated these two components in violent, inpatient MDOs. Here, we examined self-reported trait disinhibition, experimentally assessed response inhibition, and NoGo N2 and P3 amplitude and latency in male, violent MDOs (N = 27) and healthy controls (N = 20). MDOs had a higher degree of trait disinhibition, reduced NoGo P3 amplitude, and delayed NoGo P3 latency compared to controls. The reduced NoGo P3 amplitude and delayed NoGo P3 latency in MDOs may stem from deficits during monitoring or evaluation of behavior. NoGo P3 latency was associated with increased trait disinhibition in the whole sample, suggesting that trait disinhibition may be associated with reduced neural efficiency during later stages of outcome monitoring or evaluation. Findings for NoGo N2 amplitude and latency were small and non-robust. With several limitations in mind, this is the first study to demonstrate attenuated NoGo P3 amplitude and delayed NoGo P3 latency in violent, inpatient MDOs compared to healthy controls.

There are More than Two Sides to Antisocial Behavior: The Inextricable Link between Hemispheric Specialization and Environment

Human functions and traits are linked to cerebral networks serving different emotional and cognitive control systems, some of which rely on hemispheric specialization and integration to promote adaptive goal-directed behavior. Among the neural systems discussed in this context are those underlying pro- and antisocial behaviors. The diverse functions and traits governing our social behavior have been associated with lateralized neural activity. However, as with other complex behaviors, specific hemispheric roles are difficult to elucidate. This is due largely to environmental and contextual influences, which interact with neural substrates in the development and expression of pro and antisocial functions. This paper will discuss the reciprocal ties between environmental factors and hemispheric functioning in the context of social behavior. Rather than an exhaustive review, the paper will attempt to familiarize readers with the prominent literature and primary questions to encourage further research and in-depth discussion in this field.

Examining the link between facial affect recognition and violent offending: A comparison between web-recruited volunteers with histories of violent and non-violent offending

BACKGROUND

The link between facial affect recognition and criminal justice involvement has been extensively researched, yet there are virtually no data on the capacity for facial affect recognition in post-incar+cerated individuals, and the results of many studies are limited due to a narrow focus on psychopathy rather than offence category.

AIMS

To test the first hypothesis that individuals reporting a history of a violent offence would show a deficit in facial affect recognition and the second hypothesis that the violent offender's deficit would be exclusive to recognition of negative expressions, not affecting positive or neutral expressions.

METHOD

Post-incarcerated individuals (N = 298) were recruited online through Qualtrics and completed questionnaires assessing their criminal justice background and demographics. They completed measures of facial affect recognition, anxiety and depression, and components of aggression.

RESULTS

A logistic regression, including sex, ethnicity, age and years of education and depression/anxiety scores, indicated that committing a violent offence was independently associated with lower facial affect recognition scores as well as male gender and a trait-based propensity towards physical aggression, but no other co-variable. These data provided no evidence that this deficit was specific to negative emotions.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH/PRACTICE

Our study is one of the first to examine facial affect recognition in a post-incarcerated sample. It suggests that deficits in facial affect recognition, already well documented among violent prisoners, persist. While acknowledging that these may be relatively fixed characteristics, this study also suggests that, for these people, nothing happening during their imprisonment was touching this. Improving capacity in facial affect recognition should be considered as a target of intervention for violent offenders, developing or revising in-prison programmes as required.

The effects of essentialist thinking toward biosocial risk factors for criminality and types of offending on lay punishment support

This research uses experimental methods to gauge how different facets of essentialist thinking toward (1) types of offending and (2) biosocial risk factors for criminality predict lay punishment support. A randomized between-subjects experiment using contrastive vignettes was conducted with members of the general public (N = 897). Overall, as hypothesized, aspects of essentialist thinking, particularly informativeness, continuity, immutability, and discreteness, toward both biosocial risk factors and types of offending behavior generally predicted more severe punishments surrounding retribution, incapacitation, and deterrence. Yet, surprisingly, several of the same beliefs, specifically toward discreteness and informativeness, also predicted non-punitive sentiments toward restoration and decreased prison time in some contexts. This work demonstrates that essentialist thinking not only may affect how the public cognitively categorizes biosocial risk factors for criminality and types of offending, but also may have consequences for public support for the punishment of offenders with particular offense records or characteristics.

Low self-control and aggression exert serial mediation between inattention/hyperactivity problems and severity of internet gaming disorder features longitudinally among adolescents

OBJECTIVES

We examined serial mediating roles of low self-control and aggression in explaining relationships between levels of inattention and hyperactivity problems (IHPs) and severity of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) features when exposed to online games among adolescents without Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stratified by gender using three-wave longitudinal study.

METHOD

The sample comprised a total of 1,732 family dyads from a study that was conducted among seventh graders without diagnoses of ADHD at baseline. Levels of IHPs were assessed by the parent reported Korean version of the ADHD rating scale at baseline (wave1). Severity of IGD features was assessed by the Internet Game Use-Elicited Symptom Screen (IGUESS) at wave3. Both levels of self-control (wave1) and aggression (wave2) were assessed by self-report. The mediating role of low self-control and aggression in the relationships between level of IHPs and severity of IGD were evaluated using serial mediation analysis separately for each gender.

RESULTS

Levels of IHPs were related directly to severity of IGD features in both genders. The indirect effects via low self-control were also significant in both genders, however, the indirect effects via aggression was significant only in women. The serial mediation effect via low self-control and aggression between levels of IHPs and IGD features was significant in both genders (men, coefficient:0.009, 95%CI 0.005-0.019; women, coefficient:0.010, 95%CI:0.005-0.026).

CONCLUSION

We revealed a possible mechanism underlying a serial mediation chain from low self-control to aggression explaining the effects of IHPs on severity of IGD features. However, this conclusion should be taken with a caution, because the effect sizes were very low.

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques to Reduce Violence Proneness by Interfering in Anger and Irritability

The field of neurocriminology has proposed several treatments (e.g., pharmacological, brain surgery, androgen-deprivation therapy, neurofeedback) to reduce violence proneness, but unfortunately, their effectiveness has been limited due to their side-effects. Therefore, it is necessary to explore alternative techniques to improve patients’ behavioural regulation with minimal undesirable effects. In this regard, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, which are based on applying changing magnetic fields or electric currents to interfere with cortical excitability, have revealed their usefulness in alleviating the symptomatology of several mental disorders. However, to our knowledge, there are no reviews that assess whether these techniques are useful for reducing violence proneness. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria using the following databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, Dialnet, Psicodoc, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Library. We initially identified 3746 entries, and eventually included 56 publications. Most of the studies were unanimous in concluding that the application of these techniques over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was not sufficient to promote anger and irritability reductions in euthymic individuals of both genders. Nevertheless, the application of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, especially transcranial direct current stimulation, over the right PFC seemed to reduce violent reactions in these individuals by interfering with the interpretation of the unfavourable situations (e.g., threating signals) or inner states that evoked anger. In antisocial and pathological populations, the conclusions were provided by a few pilot studies with important methodological weaknesses. The main conclusion of these studies was that bilateral stimulation of the PFC satisfactorily reduced anger and irritability only in inmates, patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), people who suffered a closed-head injury, and agitated patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, combining these techniques with risperidone considerably reduced aggressiveness in these patients. Therefore, it is necessary to be cautious about the benefits of these techniques to control anger, due the methodological weaknesses of these studies. Nonetheless, they offer valuable opportunities to prevent violence by designing new treatments combining brain stimulation with current strategies, such as psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, in order to promote lasting changes.

Amygdala GluN2B-NMDAR dysfunction is critical in abnormal aggression of neurodevelopmental origin induced by St8sia2 deficiency

Aggression is frequently observed in neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and bipolar disorder. Due to a lack of understanding of its underlying mechanisms, effective treatments for abnormal aggression are still missing. Recently, genetic variations in Sialyltransferase 2 (St8sia2) have been linked to these disorders and aggression. Here we identify abnormal aggressive behaviors and concomitant blunted fear learning in St8sia2 knockout (-/-) mice. It is worth noting that the amygdala of St8sia2-/- mice shows diminished threat-induced activation, as well as alterations in synaptic structure and function, including impaired GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission and plasticity. Pharmacological rescue of NMDA receptor activity in the amygdala of St8sia2-/- mice with the partial agonist D-cycloserine restores synaptic plasticity and normalizes behavioral aberrations. Pathological aggression and associated traits were recapitulated by specific amygdala neonatal St8sia2 silencing. Our results establish a developmental link between St8sia2 deficiency and a pathological aggression syndrome, specify synaptic targets for therapeutic developments, and highlight D-cycloserine as a plausible treatment.

Cortisol stress response predicts 9-year risky driving convictions in male first-time driving-while-impaired offenders

BACKGROUND

With driving while impaired by alcohol (DWI) representing a persistent burden on global health, better understanding and prevention of recidivism following a first-time DWI conviction are needed. Progress towards these goals is challenged by the marked heterogeneity in offender characteristics and a traffic safety literature that relies on subjective self-report measures and cross-sectional study designs. The present study tested the hypothesis that an objective neurobiological marker of behavioural maladjustment, the cortisol stress response (CSR), predicts future DWI and other traffic convictions over a 9-year follow-up period.

METHODS

One hundred thirty-two male first-time DWI offenders and 31 non-offender comparators were recruited and assessed at intake for their substance use, psychosocial and psychological characteristics and CSR. Traffic conviction data were obtained from provincial driving records. Survival analysis estimated the association between CSR and risk of a traffic conviction over time.

RESULTS

In support of our hypothesis, blunted CSR predicted traffic convictions during the follow-up duration. This effect generalized to both DWI offenders and non-DWI drivers. While CSR was lower in DWI offenders compared to non-offenders, it did not specifically predict recidivism in DWI offenders. Modelling results indicated that blunted CSR, along with DWI offender group membership, experience seeking and drug use frequency, may demarcate a high-risk driver phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

CSR is a neurobiological marker of a driver phenotype with elevated generalized driving risk. For drivers with characteristics consistent with this phenotype, expanding the focus of intervention to address multiple forms of risky driving may be necessary to curb their overall threat to traffic safety.

Brain activation covaries with reported criminal behaviors when making risky choices: A fuzzy-trace theory approach

Criminal behavior has been associated with abnormal neural activity when people experience risks and rewards or exercise inhibition. However, neural substrates of mental representations that underlie criminal and noncriminal risk-taking in adulthood have received scant attention. We take a new approach, applying fuzzy-trace theory, to examine neural substrates of risk preferences and criminality. We extend ideas about gist (simple meaning) and verbatim (precise risk-reward tradeoffs) representations used to explain adolescent risk-taking to uncover neural correlates of developmentally inappropriate adult risk-taking. We tested predictions using a risky-choice framing task completed in the MRI scanner, and examined neural covariation with self-reported criminal and noncriminal risk-taking. As predicted, risk-taking was correlated with a behavioral pattern of risk preferences called "reverse framing" (preferring sure losses over a risky option and a risky option over sure gains, the opposite of typical framing biases) that has been linked to risky behavior in adolescents and is rarely observed in nondisordered adults. Experimental manipulations confirmed processing interpretations of typical framing (gist-based) and reverse-framing (verbatim-based) risk preferences. In the brain, covariation with criminal and noncriminal risk-taking was observed predominantly when subjects made reverse-framing choices. Noncriminal risk-taking behavior was associated with emotional reactivity (amygdala) and reward motivation (striatal) areas, whereas criminal behavior was associated with greater activation in temporal and parietal cortices, their junction, and insula. When subjects made more developmentally typical framing choices, reflecting nonpreferred gist processing, activation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex covaried with criminal risk-taking, which may reflect cognitive effort to process gist while inhibiting preferred verbatim processing. (PsycINFO Database Record

Criminal Responsibility and Neuroscience: No Revolution Yet

Since the 1990's, neurolaw is on the rise. At the heart of heated debates lies the recurrent theme of a neuro-revolution of criminal responsibility. However, caution should be observed: the alleged foundations of criminal responsibility (amongst which free will) are often inaccurate and the relative imperviousness of its real foundations to scientific facts often underestimated. Neuroscientific findings may impact on social institutions, but only insofar as they also engage in a political justification of the changes being called for, convince populations, and take into consideration the ensuing consequences. Moreover, the many limits of neuroscientific tools call for increased vigilance when, if ever, using neuroscientific evidence in a courtroom. In this article, we aim at setting the basis for future sound debates on the contribution of neuroscience to criminal law, and in particular to the assessment of criminal responsibility. As such, we provide analytical tools to grasp the political and normative nature of criminal responsibility and review the current or projected use of neuroscience in the law, all the while bearing in mind the highly publicized question: can neuroscience revolutionize criminal responsibility? Answering this question implicitly requires answering a second question: should neuroscience revolutionize the institution of criminal responsibility? Answering both, in turn, requires drawing the line between science and normativity, revolution and dialogue, fantasies and legitimate hopes.

Creating an Internal Environment of Cognitive and Psycho-Emotional Well-Being through an External Movement-Based Environment: An Overview of Quadrato Motor Training

In this overview, we discuss the internal and external environmental factors associated with cognitive and psycho-emotional well-being in the context of physical activity and Mindful Movement. Our key argument is that improved cognitive and emotional functions associated with mental well-being can be achieved by an external, Mindful Movement-based environment training called Quadrato Motor Training (QMT). QMT is a structured sensorimotor training program aimed at improving coordination, attention, and emotional well-being through behavioral, electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, and molecular changes. In accordance with this argument, we first describe the general neurobiological mechanisms underpinning emotional states and emotion regulation. Next, we review the relationships between QMT, positive emotional state, and increased emotion regulation, and discuss the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these relationships. We consider the relationships between motion, emotion, and cognition, and highlight the need for integrated training paradigms involving these three trajectories. Such training paradigms provide cognitively engaging exercises to improve emotion regulation, which in turn affects adaptive behaviors. Finally, we address the broader implications of improving cognitive and emotional functioning through Mindful Movement training for environmental research and public health.

Prediction of recidivism in a long-term follow-up of forensic psychiatric patients: Incremental effects of neuroimaging data

One of the primary objectives in forensic psychiatry, distinguishing it from other psychiatric disciplines, is risk management. Assessments of the risk of criminal recidivism are performed on a routine basis, as a baseline for risk management for populations involved in the criminal justice system. However, the risk assessment tools available to clinical practice are limited in their ability to predict recidivism. Recently, the prospect of incorporating neuroimaging data to improve the prediction of criminal behavior has received increased attention. In this study we investigated the feasibility of including neuroimaging data in the prediction of recidivism by studying whether the inclusion of resting-state regional cerebral blood flow measurements leads to an incremental increase in predictive performance over traditional risk factors. A subsample (N = 44) from a cohort of forensic psychiatric patients who underwent single-photon emission computed tomography neuroimaging and clinical psychiatric assessment during their court-ordered forensic psychiatric investigation were included in a long-term (ten year average time at risk) follow-up. A Baseline model with eight empirically established risk factors, and an Extended model which also included resting-state regional cerebral blood flow measurements from eight brain regions were estimated using random forest classification and compared using several predictive performance metrics. Including neuroimaging data in the Extended model increased the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) from .69 to .81, increased accuracy from .64 to .82 and increased the scaled Brier score from .08 to .25, supporting the feasibility of including neuroimaging data in the prediction of recidivism in forensic psychiatric patients. Although our results hint at potential benefits in the domain of risk assessment, several limitations and ethical challenges are discussed. Further studies with larger, carefully characterized clinical samples utilizing higher-resolution neuroimaging techniques are warranted.

Peripubertal stress-induced heightened aggression: modulation of the glucocorticoid receptor in the central amygdala and normalization by mifepristone treatment

Despite the enormous negative impact of excessive aggression for individuals and societies, there is a paucity of treatments. Here, using a peripubertal stress model of heightened aggression in rats, we investigated the involvement of the glucocorticoid system and tested the effectiveness of antiglucocorticoid treatment to normalize behavior. We assessed peripubertal stress-induced changes in glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) gene expression in different amygdala nuclei and hippocampus, and report a specific increase in GR mRNA expression in the central amygdala (CeA). Administration of mifepristone (10 mg/kg), a GR antagonist, before stressor exposure at peripuberty prevented the habituation of plasma corticosterone responses observed throughout the stress protocol. This treatment also prevented the increase in aggression and GR expression in the CeA observed in peripubertally stressed rats at adulthood. Viral downregulation of CeA GR expression at adulthood led to reduced aggression. Subsequently, we showed that a brief, 3-day, treatment with mifepristone at adulthood was effective to normalize the abnormal aggression phenotype in peripubertally stressed rats. Our results support a key role for GR actions during peripubertal stress for the long-term programming of heightened aggression. Strikingly, they also support the translational interest of testing the effectiveness of mifepristone treatment to diminish reactive aggression in early adversity-related human psychopathologies.

Biological explanations of criminal behavior

There is a growing literature on biological explanations of antisocial and criminal behavior. This paper provides a selective review of three specific biological factors - psychophysiology (with the focus on blunted heart rate and skin conductance), brain mechanisms (with a focus on structural and functional aberrations of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and striatum), and genetics (with an emphasis on gene-environment and gene-gene interactions). Overall, understanding the role of biology in antisocial and criminal behavior may help increase the explanatory power of current research and theories, as well as inform policy and treatment options.

The Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity Underlying Violence Proneness: Is It a Reliable Marker for Neurocriminology? A Systematic Review

Introduction: There is growing scientific interest in understanding the biological mechanisms affecting and/or underlying violent behaviors in order to develop effective treatment and prevention programs. In recent years, neuroscientific research has tried to demonstrate whether the intrinsic activity within the brain at rest in the absence of any external stimulation (resting-state functional connectivity; RSFC) could be employed as a reliable marker for several cognitive abilities and personality traits that are important in behavior regulation, particularly, proneness to violence. Aims: This review aims to highlight the association between the RSFC among specific brain structures and the predisposition to experiencing anger and/or responding to stressful and distressing situations with anger in several populations. Methods: The scientific literature was reviewed following the PRISMA quality criteria for reviews, using the following digital databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, and Dialnet. Results: The identification of 181 abstracts and retrieval of 34 full texts led to the inclusion of 17 papers. The results described in our study offer a better understanding of the brain networks that might explain the tendency to experience anger. The majority of the studies highlighted that diminished RSFC between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala might make people prone to reactive violence, but that it is also necessary to contemplate additional cortical (i.e., insula, gyrus [angular, supramarginal, temporal, fusiform, superior, and middle frontal], anterior and posterior cingulated cortex) and subcortical brain structures (i.e., hippocampus, cerebellum, ventral striatum, and nucleus centralis superior) in order to explain a phenomenon as complex as violence. Moreover, we also described the neural pathways that might underlie proactive violence and feelings of revenge, highlighting the RSFC between the OFC, ventral striatal, angular gyrus, mid-occipital cortex, and cerebellum. Conclusions. The results from this synthesis and critical analysis of RSFC findings in several populations offer guidelines for future research and for developing a more accurate model of proneness to violence, in order to create effective treatment and prevention programs.

Heart rate and hurtful behavior from teens to adults: Paths to adult health

A low resting heart rate across development from infancy to young adulthood relates to greater aggression/hostility. Adult aggression and a high heart rate relate to health risk. Do some aggressive individuals retain low heart rate and less health risk across development while others show high heart rate and more risk? A longitudinal sample of 203 men assessed as teens (age 16.1) and adults (mean age 32.0) permitted us to assess (a) stability of heart rate levels and reactivity, (b) stability of aggression/hostility, and (c) whether change or stability related to health risk. Adults were assessed with Buss-Perry measures of aggression/hostility; teens with the Zuckerman aggression/hostility measure. Mean resting heart rate, heart rate reactivity to speech preparation, and aggression/hostility were moderately stable across development. Within age periods, mean heart rate level, but not reactivity, was negatively related to hostility/aggression. Maintaining low heart rate into adulthood was related to better health among aggressive individuals relative to those with increasing heart rate into adulthood. Analyses controlled for weight gain, socioeconomic status, race, health habits, and medication. Low heart rate as a characteristic of hostile/aggressive individuals may continue to relate to better health indices in adulthood, despite possible reversal of this relationship with aging.

Neuroscience and Social Problems: The Case of Neuropunishment

Neuroscientific interventions are increasingly proposed as solutions for social problems, beyond their application in biomedicine. For example, there is increasing interest, particularly from outside commentators, in harnessing neuroscientific advances as an alternative method of punishing criminal offenders. Such neuropunishments are seen as a potentially more effective, less costly, and more humane alternative to incarceration, with overall better results for offender, communities, and societies. This article considers whether neuroscience as a field should engage more actively with such proposals, and whether more research should be done to explore the use of neurointerventions for punishment. It concludes that neuroscientists and those working at the intersection of neuroscience and the clinic should actively shape these debates.

Alterations in brain microstructure in rats that develop abnormal aggression following peripubertal stress

Exposure to early adversity is implicated in the development of aggressive behaviour later in life in some but not all individuals. The reasons for the variability in response to such experiences are not clear but may relate to pre-existing individual differences that influence their downstream effects. Applying structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to a rat model of abnormal aggression induced by peripubertal stress, we examined whether individual differences in the development of an aggressive phenotype following stress exposure were underpinned by variation in the structure of aggression-associated, corticolimbic brain regions. We also assessed whether responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to stress was associated with neurobehavioural outcome following adversity. A subset of the rats exposed to peripubertal stress developed an aggressive phenotype, while the remaining rats were affected in other behavioural domains, such as increased anxiety-like behaviours and reduced sociability. Peripubertal stress led to changes in tissue microstructure within prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampal formation only in those individuals displaying an aggressive phenotype. Attenuated glucocorticoid response to stress during juvenility predicted the subsequent development of an aggressive phenotype in peripubertal stress-exposed rats. Our study establishes a link between peripubertal stress exposure in rats and structural deviations in brain regions linked to abnormal aggression and points towards low glucocorticoid responsiveness to stress as a potential underlying mechanism. We additionally highlight the importance of considering individual differences in behavioural response to stress when determining neurobiological correlates.