Prefrontal Cortex Role
Critically evaluate the role of the prefrontal cortex in the predisposition of violent behaviour.
The function and structure of the brain has long been implicated in the explanation of violent behaviour. From cases studies as early as 1848, in which head injuries resulted in changes of personality and behaviour. The prefrontal cortex was identified as a region of interest as specific head wounds to this area resulted in increased aggression and violence. The improvement of neuropsychological testing and brain imaging has further described the role the prefrontal cortex plays. Current theory and research indicates that the amygdalo-hippocampal complex (AHC) is implicated in the control of aggression and that the prefrontal cortex regulates …show more content…
A greater understanding of the specific role the prefrontal cortex and its functioning plays can be made when comparing violent and non-violent groups. In forensic samples, personality disorders were significantly associated with previous criminal convictions, and in the case of antisocial personality disorder there was a disproportional amount of violent convictions (coid 1999 cited in Carlson 2004). In regards to the pre frontal cortex Raine, Lencz, Bihrle, LaCasse and Colletti (2000) found an 11 % reduction in volume of grey matter in individuals with antisocial personality disorder. This would possibly support the association between pre frontal cortex functioning and antisocial behaviour but what of violence? Amen, Stubblefield, Carmichael (1996) used functional imaging to measure the prefrontal cortex activity of adolescence and adults who had a history of physical attacks on other people and found that there was decreased activity when compared to a control group. …show more content…
P.N.S., Allaby. D.B., Earle. J (2007). Executive Cognitive Functioning and the Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotion in Incarcerated Violent Offenders, Non-Violent Offenders, and Controls. Volume 33, pages 412–421
Kandel E, Freed D. Frontal-lobe dysfunction and antisocial behavior: a review. J Clin Psychol 1989;45:404–413.
Kiehl, K.A., Smith, A.M., Hare, R.D., Mendrek, A., Forster, B.B., Brink, J., Liddle, P.F., 2001. Limbic abnormalities in affective processing by criminal psychopaths as revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Biol. Psychiatry 50, 677– 684.
Raine, A., Brennan, P., Mednick, B.,&Mednick, S. A. (1996). High rates of violence, crime, academic problems, and behavioral problems in males with both early neuromotor deficits and unstable family environments. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 544–549.
King.J.A., Blair.J.R., Mithcell.D.G.V., Dolon. R.J., and Burgess. N (2006). Doing the right thing: A common neural circuit for appropriate violent or compassionate behaviour NeuroImage 30 . 1069 – 1076
Leon-Carrion. J., Ramos.F.J.C (2003). Blows to the head during development can predispose to violent criminal behaviour: rehabilitation of consequences of head injury is
The function and structure of the brain has long been implicated in the explanation of violent behaviour. From cases studies as early as 1848, in which head injuries resulted in changes of personality and behaviour. The prefrontal cortex was identified as a region of interest as specific head wounds to this area resulted in increased aggression and violence. The improvement of neuropsychological testing and brain imaging has further described the role the prefrontal cortex plays. Current theory and research indicates that the amygdalo-hippocampal complex (AHC) is implicated in the control of aggression and that the prefrontal cortex regulates …show more content…
A greater understanding of the specific role the prefrontal cortex and its functioning plays can be made when comparing violent and non-violent groups. In forensic samples, personality disorders were significantly associated with previous criminal convictions, and in the case of antisocial personality disorder there was a disproportional amount of violent convictions (coid 1999 cited in Carlson 2004). In regards to the pre frontal cortex Raine, Lencz, Bihrle, LaCasse and Colletti (2000) found an 11 % reduction in volume of grey matter in individuals with antisocial personality disorder. This would possibly support the association between pre frontal cortex functioning and antisocial behaviour but what of violence? Amen, Stubblefield, Carmichael (1996) used functional imaging to measure the prefrontal cortex activity of adolescence and adults who had a history of physical attacks on other people and found that there was decreased activity when compared to a control group. …show more content…
P.N.S., Allaby. D.B., Earle. J (2007). Executive Cognitive Functioning and the Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotion in Incarcerated Violent Offenders, Non-Violent Offenders, and Controls. Volume 33, pages 412–421
Kandel E, Freed D. Frontal-lobe dysfunction and antisocial behavior: a review. J Clin Psychol 1989;45:404–413.
Kiehl, K.A., Smith, A.M., Hare, R.D., Mendrek, A., Forster, B.B., Brink, J., Liddle, P.F., 2001. Limbic abnormalities in affective processing by criminal psychopaths as revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Biol. Psychiatry 50, 677– 684.
Raine, A., Brennan, P., Mednick, B.,&Mednick, S. A. (1996). High rates of violence, crime, academic problems, and behavioral problems in males with both early neuromotor deficits and unstable family environments. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 544–549.
King.J.A., Blair.J.R., Mithcell.D.G.V., Dolon. R.J., and Burgess. N (2006). Doing the right thing: A common neural circuit for appropriate violent or compassionate behaviour NeuroImage 30 . 1069 – 1076
Leon-Carrion. J., Ramos.F.J.C (2003). Blows to the head during development can predispose to violent criminal behaviour: rehabilitation of consequences of head injury is