Brains of psychopaths are different

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Original Article

Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication 9 June 2009; doi: 10.1038/mp.2009.40
Altered connections on the road to psychopathy

M C Craig1,2, M Catani1,2, Q Deeley1, R Latham1, E Daly1, R Kanaan3, M Picchioni3, P K McGuire3, T Fahy4 and D G M Murphy1

1. Section of Brain Maturation, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
2. Natbrainlab, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
3. Section of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
4. Department of Forensic Mental Health Science, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK

Correspondence: Dr MC Craig, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, PO50, 16 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK. E-mail: m.craig@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Received 7 August 2008; Revised 25 February 2009; Accepted 13 April 2009; Published online 9 June 2009.

Abstract

Psychopathy is strongly associated with serious criminal behaviour (for example, rape and murder) and recidivism. However, the biological basis of psychopathy remains poorly understood. Earlier studies suggested that dysfunction of the amygdala and/or orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) may underpin psychopathy. Nobody, however, has ever studied the white matter connections (such as the uncinate fasciculus (UF)) linking these structures in psychopaths. Therefore, we used in vivo diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) tractography to analyse the microstructural integrity of the UF in psychopaths (defined by a Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) score of greater than or equal to25) with convictions that included attempted murder, manslaughter, multiple rape with strangulation and false imprisonment. We report significantly reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) (P<0.003),>post hoc comparison with a psychiatric control group with a past history of drug abuse and institutionalization. Our findings remained significant. Taken together, these results suggest that abnormalities in a specific amygdala–OFC limbic network underpin the neurobiological basis of psychopathy.