Criminal Minds: The Neurological Blueprint of Psychopaths
Image Source: Song Nguyen
Introduction
Everyone has unique thoughts, perceptions, and mental processing techniques, but for some, the neural pathways that code for mental processing are not as sound as one might believe. Psychopaths are individuals struggling with informational processing due to a neurological deficit in grey matter. The deficiency leads to a greater susceptibility in making morally ambiguous decisions. Mainstream American media paints affected individuals in an ill light, often making them a scapegoat for public criticism. This article aims to challenge mass media stereotypes by examining the neurological differences in psychopaths, explaining the science behind the development of psychopathy, and exploring whether potential cures are arising.
The Neurological Distinction
The human brain, a marvel of utter complexity, controls emotions, thought, creativity, and nearly every function essential to life. A healthy brain consists of about 60% white matter and 40% grey matter (Cleveland Clinic 2023). White matter is brain tissue partaking in long-distance impulse transmission, the process by which neurons send and receive signals allowing communication in the nervous system. Conversely, grey matter is brain tissue working in short-distance impulse transmission through dendrites—branch-like stems responsible for receiving and processing information. Grey matter manages the processing of impulses that control movement, memory, and emotions, all which allow the brain to function at a high level of intelligence. White and grey matter work together to interpret signals and propagate information throughout the body.
Psychopathy can be directly linked to insufficient white or grey matter. Professor Jean Decety at the University of Chicago notes how decreased levels of grey matter are present in the orbitofrontal cortex and the anterior temporal lobes of the brain in psychopaths (Wang 2019). The orbitofrontal cortex is responsible for the brain reward system associated with taste, response to visual stimuli, and reward and punishment related behaviors (Rolls 2004). Without sufficient grey matter present in the orbitofrontal cortex, it is increasingly difficult to control correctional behavior and modulate aggressive tendencies. Due to a lack of emotional management, psychopaths are often characterized as less empathetic, morally ambiguous, and impulsive. From a neurological perspective, their brains do not have the capacity to self-regulate their emotions, making them prone to searching for an elusive feeling of instant gratification.
Nature vs. Nurture: The Development of Psychopathy
Contrary to popular belief, there is no “gene” that codes for psychopathy. However, one can be genetically predisposed to psychopathy by inheriting genes that code for antisocial tendencies or by growing up in a hostile or abusive environment. In this way, while psychopathy in and of itself isn’t genetic, it may have hereditary components.
Psychopathy is partially a result of the environmental factors surrounding children in their developmental years. Mary Ellen Maunz describes how in early childhood, children’s brains are akin to sponges, absorbing the behaviors, environments, and nutrients available to them. By age 5, 85% of a child’s core brain structure has been formed by their experiences, making ages 0-5 the most critical period for forming the neurological foundations for informational and emotional processing (Ellen-Maunz, 2021). Furthermore, the National Library of Medicine has proven that grey matter begins forming during fetal development and continues to develop through early childhood, increasing in volume until age 8, and density until age 20 (Mercadante 2023). Once neuronal connections have been formed, they cannot regenerate or be replaced, meaning the environment that envelops one’s childhood lays the foundation for normalcy or psychopathy.
Earlier Diagnosis for a Brighter Future
While a child’s developmental years are the most critical for forming normal neuronal connections, psychopathy is typically regarded as an “adult disorder” in modern medicine, meaning children are extremely unlikely to get diagnosed. Recent research at Yale proves it may be beneficial to start diagnosing psychopathy-adjacent traits at an earlier age as opposed to waiting until adulthood (Yale 2023). While “diagnosing children with psychopathy would be inappropriate,” because the traits that are synonymous with the disorder are still “highly changeable,” identifying a child’s “limited prosocial emotions” can assist with categorizing children and young people at risk of developing psychopathy (De Brito et. al 4). Earlier diagnosis would help prevent false diagnoses of ADHD, antisocialness, and other anxiety disorders. Additionally, identifying the root of the disorder before it manifests fully during adulthood could make psychopathy treatment more effective. However, many psychologists are hesitant to take this leap of faith, in part due to the stigma surrounding the disorder and its notoriety.
Dissecting Stereotypes
Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and Albert DeSalvo are among the most memorable psychopaths of the modern era, characterized often as evil, narcissistic, and antisocial individuals that lack empathy and remorse. Notably, these well-known psychopaths are also serial killers. However, while some psychopaths can become serial killers, not all serial killers are psychopaths and vice versa. Violence is not a definitive indicator of psychopathy, which is instead characterized by shallow and superficial behaviors. Psychopaths are not actively choosing to make bad decisions, rather they cannot fathom that their decisions are harmful and have everlasting effects.
With characters like Mike Myers and Hannibal Lector as mainstream examples of psychopathy, psychopaths are often painted as one thing: pure evil. Mass-media assessment fails to consider the scientific background of psychopaths, disregarding the fact that psychopathy is a mental disorder. Psychopaths are not inherently homicidal individuals, but they can struggle with maintaining healthy habits and behaviors. Mass media has crafted false stereotypes on psychopathy, preventing it from being seen as a brain underdevelopment disorder.
While main news outlets are slow to portray psychopathy accurately, the justice system is making active strides towards a scientific approach to psychopathy that could very well change the way psychopaths are prosecuted for the better: Neurolaw.
Neurolaw: The Bridge Between Neuroscience and Justice
Neurolaw is an emerging field that seeks to enhance the understanding of law by incorporating neurological findings and research, examining how brain function relates to legal concepts and decision-making. Neurolaw is used when determining competency and guilt during sentencing and is proving beneficial for keeping psychopaths out of jail by acquiring treatment. More recently, Neurolaw is working in the field of criminal justice and forensic psychiatry, where “neuroimaging and AI” is converging in “brain-reading technology” to help formulate a “risk assessment and neuroprediction of violence and future recidivism” (Munoz, Garcia-Lopez, Rusconi 2020).
When discussing psychopathy in court, neurolaw is essential to understanding the brain disorder. According to Kent Kiehl, an American neuroscientist with a specialization in psychopathy, the brains of diagnosed psychopaths do not engage their emotional circuit when shown morally graphic content (Kiehl 2010). The emotional circuit of the brain, located within the limbic system, is responsible for emotional processing (Cleveland Clinic 2024). Kiehl’s samples, taken from inmates at a Juvenile Detention center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were recorded using portable MRI technology. The MRI images displayed an unusual firing by the orbital cortex (located on the frontal lobe of the brain), when compared to that of a healthy individual. The MRI indicated that the natural response of empathy or shock did not activate in the brains of criminal psychopaths, proving how psychopaths can not fully comprehend the consequences of their actions and therefore cannot easily make morally sound decisions. The use of MRI and other neuroscience research can improve neurolaw, enabling psychopaths to receive more appropriate sentences that not only hold them accountable, but also offer the opportunity to manage their disorder.
The Search for a Cure
One question remains: can psychopaths be cured? The short answer is no, not yet. Psychopathy isn’t simply an inactive neuron or a misplaced axon terminal, but a reduction in grey matter leading to unfavorable behaviors. As grey matter cannot be regenerated with current scientific resources, researchers must figure out a behavioral solution first.
Scientists at the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center (MJTC) are working on implementing a decompression model to curb psychopathic behavior (Kiehl 6). The model could prove beneficial because psychopaths are currently six times more likely to return to prison following release than the average individual. Due to typical prison environments reinforcing criminal behavior by dehumanizing prisoners and “sever[ing] a person’s ties with family and support networks,” the resulting trauma can increase the statistic(Bryant 9). MJTC operates without commonplace punishment and instead utilizes a positive reinforcement system, resulting in a 34% reduction in psychopaths readmitted to prison. While there isn’t an outright cure or miracle dose to eliminate psychopathy, early-stage treatment at the Mendota Center is proving to be a step in the right direction towards a potential treatment option.