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Rodriguez SN, Gullapalli AR, Tirrell PS, Maurer JM, Egala U, Edwards BG, Anderson NE, Harenski CL, Decety J, Neumann CS, Kiehl KA. Automated patterns of head dynamics are associated with psychopathic traits in incarcerated women. Pers Individ Dif 2023; 200:111904. [PMID: 37937147 PMCID: PMC10629898 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Men with elevated psychopathic traits have been characterized by unique patterns of nonverbal communication, including more fixed and focused head positions during clinical interviews, compared to men scoring low on measures of psychopathy. However, it is unclear whether similar patterns of head dynamics help characterize women scoring high on psychopathic traits. Here, we utilized an automated detection algorithm to assess head position and dynamics during a videotaped clinical interview (i.e., the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised [PCL-R]) in a sample of n = 213 incarcerated women. PCL-R Total, Factor 1 (i.e., interpersonal and affective psychopathic traits), and Factor 2 (i.e., lifestyle/behavioral and antisocial/developmental psychopathic traits) scores were associated with a pattern of head dynamics indicative of a rigid head position. The current study extends analyses of nonverbal behavior studies in men to women and highlights how individuals with elevated psychopathic traits demonstrate unique nonverbal behaviors relative to individuals who score low on psychopathic traits. The implications and clinical value of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha N. Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, MSC03-2220 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | | | - Palmer S. Tirrell
- Department of Psychology, MSC03-2220 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - J. Michael Maurer
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Ugesh Egala
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, MSC01 1100 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Bethany G. Edwards
- Department of Psychology, MSC03-2220 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | | | - Carla L. Harenski
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, 5848 S. University Avenue, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Craig S. Neumann
- Department of Psychology, 1155Union Circle #311280, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Kent A. Kiehl
- Department of Psychology, MSC03-2220 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
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Maurer JM, Paul S, Edwards BG, Anderson NE, Nyalakanti PK, Harenski CL, Decety J, Kiehl KA. Reduced structural integrity of the uncinate fasciculus in incarcerated women scoring high on psychopathy. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2141-2149. [PMID: 35882762 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00684-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Both men and women scoring high on psychopathy exhibit similar structural and functional neural abnormalities, including reduced volume of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and reduced hemodynamic activity in the amygdala during affective processing experimental paradigms. The uncinate fasciculus (UF) is a white matter (WM) tract that connects the amygdala to the OFC. Reduced structural integrity of the UF, measured via fractional anisotropy (FA), is commonly associated with men scoring high on psychopathy. However, only one study to date has investigated the relationship between psychopathic traits and UF structural integrity in women, recruiting participants from a community sample. Here, we investigated whether Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) facet scores (measuring interpersonal, affective, lifestyle/behavioral, and antisocial psychopathic traits, respectively) were associated with reduced FA in the left and right UF in a sample of 254 incarcerated women characterized by a wide range of psychopathy scores. We observed that PCL-R Facet 3 scores, assessing lifestyle/behavioral psychopathic traits, were associated with reduced FA in the left and right UF, even when controlling for participant's age and history of previous substance use. The results obtained in the current study help improve our understanding of structural abnormalities associated with women scoring high on psychopathy. Specifically, reduced UF structural integrity may contribute to some of the deficits commonly associated with women scoring high on psychopathy, including emotion dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Maurer
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA.
| | - Subhadip Paul
- School of Biological Sciences, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Narendrapur, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.,JIVAN- Centre for Research in Biological Sciences, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Narendrapur, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.,Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), P.O.: Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Bethany G Edwards
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | | | - Carla L Harenski
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA. .,Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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Yoder KJ, Harenski CL, Kiehl KA, Decety J. Psychopathic traits modulate functional connectivity during pain perception and perspective-taking in female inmates. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 34:102984. [PMID: 35276604 PMCID: PMC8907686 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PCL-R scores are associated with altered functional connectivity in female inmates. PCL-R Factor 1 and Factor 2 subscores predicted opposite shifts in connectivity. Functional connectivity in the salience network is altered during pain perception. Connectivity in the social cognition network is altered during perspective-taking.
The ability to share and understand the distress of others is critical for successful social interactions and is a fundamental building block of morality. Psychopathy is a personality disorder that includes lack of empathy and concern for others. In the present study, functional MRI was used to examine neural responses and functional connectivity associated with empathy and affective perspective-taking in female inmates (N = 109) with various levels of psychopathic traits, as measured with Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Participants viewed hands and feet in painful or non-painful situations while adopting a first person or third person perspective. All participants demonstrated robust neural responses in anterior insula (aINS), anterior cingulate (ACC), temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and supplementary motor area (SMA) when viewing pain, both during imagine-self and imagine-other blocks. Psychopathy shifted the functional connectivity seeded in core nodes of the salience and social cognition networks. Perceiving stimuli depicting somatic pain led to decreased functional coupling from right temporoparietal junction to superior temporal sulcus, which correlated with scores on PCL-R Factor 1 (Affective/Interpersonal). In contrast, connectivity from right insula to precuneus increased with Factor 2 (Lifestyle/Antisocial) scores. When adopting a third-person perspective, psychopathic traits modulated connectivity from the social cognition network, but not the salience network, with Factor 1 scores associated with increased connectivity to sensorimotor cortex and temporal pole, while Factor 2 scores were associated with decreased connectivity with ACC/SMA and inferior frontal gyrus. Overall, these results demonstrate that psychopathic traits in incarcerated females are associated with atypical functional connectivity within the salience network during pain-empathy processing and within the social cognition network during affective perspective-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith J Yoder
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Carla L Harenski
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical, Albuquerque, NM, United States; Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical, Albuquerque, NM, United States; Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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Carabellese F, Felthous AR, Tegola DL, Rossetto I, Franconi F, Lucchini G, Catanesi R. Female psychopathy: A descriptive national study of socially dangerous female NGRI offenders. Int J Law Psychiatry 2020; 68:101455. [PMID: 32033688 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2019.101455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understudied is psychopathy in females, particularly socially dangerous NGRI females, where the construct could be of forensic, clinical and criminologic significance. Italy's recent transformation of its mental health system created the context for studying such a population on a national level. Throughout the twentieth century until their closure in 2015, offenders found to be not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) and socially dangerous were placed in one of the the six high security hospitals in Italy (OPGs). Only one hospital, the Castiglione delle Stiviere maximum security hospital (OPG) in North Italy, treated female offenders, who came from all parts of Italy. The authors studied 66 of all 86 women in Castiglione delle Stiviere OPG. The aims of this study were to identify the prevalence of psychopathy in NGRI female offenders and eventually to identify any phenotypic gender-specific features of psychopathy. The SCID I and II interviews and other tests (MMPI-2, MCMI-III, R-Bans) were administered to all the women. Clinical historical information was obtained. Finally for all women who consented to participate in the study, the researchers administered the PCL-R version validated for the Italian population. The final sample consisted of 66 women, who were deemed NGRI and socially dangerous. Here the authors present the final results as well as limitations of the research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felice Carabellese
- Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Policlinico Universitario, p.za G. Cesare, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Alan R Felthous
- Forensic Psychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1438 South Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA.
| | - Donatella La Tegola
- Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Policlinico Universitario, p.za G. Cesare, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Ilaria Rossetto
- Sistema Polimodulare REMS Castiglione delle Stiviere ASL, MN, Mantova, Italy
| | - Filippo Franconi
- Sistema Polimodulare REMS Castiglione delle Stiviere ASL, MN, Mantova, Italy
| | - G Lucchini
- Sistema Polimodulare REMS Castiglione delle Stiviere ASL, MN, Mantova, Italy
| | - R Catanesi
- Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Policlinico Universitario, p.za G. Cesare, 70124 Bari, Italy
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Crooks D, Anderson NE, Widdows M, Petseva N, Decety J, Pluto C, Kiehl KA. The relationship between cavum septum pellucidum and psychopathic traits in female offenders. Behav Brain Res 2019; 359:967-972. [PMID: 29940262 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Cavum Septum Pellucidum (CSP) is a common anatomical variant of the septum pellucidum. CSP is considered a marker for abnormal limbic brain development, but its functional consequences are non-specific. In a recent report (Crooks et al., 2018), CSP size was significantly positively correlated with the affective/interpersonal traits of psychopathy in male offenders (N = 1742). Here we test the hypothesis that CSP is related to psychopathic traits in incarcerated females (N = 355). We examine continuous relationships as well as categorical assignments for CSP size corresponding to a number of prior reports. We also compare female offenders to healthy female controls (N = 385). Consistent with our reported findings in males, a positive association was observed between the interpersonal psychopathic traits and CSP size. In contrast to findings among males, an association between CSP and antisocial psychopathic traits was apparent in females. There was no significant difference in CSP size (in mm) or CSP presence/absence between incarcerated and non-incarcarated groups. However, categorical rates of medium and large CSP were more common in female inmates than in controls. This is the first systematic investigation of these variables in a female inmate sample. In combination with our prior study, these findings demonstrate that limbic abnormalities, as indexed by CSP, are related to psychopathic traits in both female and male inmates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Crooks
- University of New Mexico, Department of Psychology, Albuquerque, NM, United States; The Mind Research Network (MRN) and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM, United States.
| | - Nathaniel E Anderson
- University of New Mexico, Department of Psychology, Albuquerque, NM, United States; The Mind Research Network (MRN) and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Matthew Widdows
- The Mind Research Network (MRN) and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Nia Petseva
- University of New Mexico, Department of Psychology, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Charles Pluto
- The Mind Research Network (MRN) and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- University of New Mexico, Department of Psychology, Albuquerque, NM, United States; The Mind Research Network (MRN) and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), Albuquerque, NM, United States
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