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biological explanation of criminal behaviour: the brain - Coggle Diagram
biological explanation of criminal behaviour: the brain
brain injury
people who have committed offences could be due to brain injury like an accident or a loss.
'traumatic' brain were a result of a trauma to a brain from an accident or being assaulted.
cause of long term alcohol or drug abuse. alcohol has a toxic effect on CNS and interferes with the absorption of vitamin B1 (important nutrient for the brain).
drunkenness also induces the risk of falling causing damage.
consequences of brain injuries depends on which part is damaged. this is because different parts of the brain have different functions and behaviours.
williams et al (2010)
found that 60% of 196 prisoners were investigated to have received some form of traumatic brain injury due to falling, car accidents and sports activities.
amygdala
amygdala might become damaged as a result of a brain injury.
some parts of the brain are responsible for controlling behaviours or emotions and causing damage to this area can result in someone being unemotional or reacting excessively since they can't reduce them.
brain scanning techniques suggest the brains of psychopaths work differently.
smaller amygdalae have been found with diagnosis of psychopathic personalities.
neuroimaging study led by Dustin Pardini (PhD) found that 26 year old men with lower amygdala volumes were found to be three times more aggressive, violent, and show more prominent psychopathic traits three years later than men of the same age with more normal sized amygdalas. it could be a factor including history of violence and social background.
sham rage
Cannon and Britton (1925) introduced this term to describe an emotional state found in animals.
they severed neural connections to the cortex of cats creating decorticate cats.
when they were provoked, they showed normal behaviour associated with rage and aggression like growling, hair standing, and showing teeth.
the source of rage came from the temporal region, specifically the amygdala.
when this was ABLATED animals became more placid, but if it was stimulated aggression would be displayed. this provides evidence for the amygdala that it plays an important role in the production of hostile behaviour.
raine study
carried out a research in 1997 investigating the brains of murderers and non-murderers.
studies 41 murderers who pleased NGRI, who had a range of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia. included a matched control condition (similar mental health conditions, but not committed crimes).
participants were injected with a tracer, which attached to glucose molecules, leading to brain activity being shown when PET scan was being carried out.
results show lower levels of glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex of the murderers' brain an area linked to impulsivity. differences in the amygdala and the hippocampus (responsible for learning).
abnormal functioning in these areas could explain why the non-control participants in the study have all committed murder.