LENITEM Laboratory of Epidemiology, Neuroimaging, & Telemedicine - IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio-FBF, via Pilastroni, 4, 25100, Brescia, Italy.
Psychiatry Res. 2011 Aug 30;193(2):85-92. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.12.013. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
Psychopathy is characterized by abnormal emotional processes, but only recent neuroimaging studies have investigated its cerebral correlates. The study aim was to map local differences of cortical and amygdalar morphology. Cortical pattern matching and radial distance mapping techniques were used to analyze the magnetic resonance images of 26 violent male offenders (age: 32±8) with psychopathy diagnosed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and no schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and in matched controls (age: 35± sp="0.12"/>11). The cortex displayed up to 20% reduction in the orbitofrontal and midline structures (corrected p<0.001 bilaterally). Up to 30% tissue reduction in the basolateral nucleus, and 10-30% enlargement effects in the central and lateral nuclei indicated abnormal structure of the amygdala (corrected p=0.05 on the right; and symmetrical pattern on the left). Psychopathy features specific morphology of the main cerebral structures involved in cognitive and emotional processing, consistent with clinical and functional data, and with a hypothesis of an alternative evolutionary brain development.
精神病态的特征是异常的情绪过程，但只有最近的神经影像学研究才调查了其大脑相关性。该研究旨在绘制皮质和杏仁核形态的局部差异。使用皮质模式匹配和放射状距离映射技术分析了 26 名暴力男性罪犯（年龄：32±8）的磁共振图像，这些罪犯被诊断为使用精神病态检查表修订版（PCL-R）患有精神病态，且没有精神分裂症谱系障碍，并与匹配的对照组（年龄：35±sp="0.12"/>11）进行了匹配。大脑皮层在前额眶回和中线结构上显示出高达 20%的减少（双侧校正后 p<0.001）。基底外侧核的组织减少了高达 30%，而中央核和外侧核的 10-30%扩大效应表明杏仁核的结构异常（右侧校正后 p=0.05；左侧呈对称模式）。精神病态特征是参与认知和情感处理的主要大脑结构的特定形态，与临床和功能数据一致，并与替代进化大脑发育的假说一致。
