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Brain Localization - Coggle Diagram

- - - - A variation on MRI scans, called fMRI (f stands for function), allows for many images to be taken in a short period of time. This allows for a "movie" of brain activity, showing which parts of the brain become active on a moment-by-moment basis
  - - - Aim: To investigate the brains of violent murderers
      - Procedure: This study involved a comparison of two groups of people: murderers who had pleaded not guilty for reasons of insanity (NGRI) and normal, non-violent people. A total of 41 murderers had their brains scanned, and this was compared with 41 control participants.
      - Findings: Murderers tended to have less activity in their prefrontal cortex. (Remember where we first learned about the prefrontal cortex? As we saw with the case of Phineas Gage, the prefrontal cortex is associated with controlling impulsive behaviour - including violent and sexual impulses). Murderers also tended to have a shrunken amygdala, a part of the brain associated with emotion and fear.
      - Conclusion: Brain abnormalities may explain why some people turn out to be killers. Lack of activity in prefrontal cortex may make it difficult for killers to control their violent impulses. And a deformed amygdala could explain the lack of empathy, remorse and guilt of psychopathic killers.