Journal article
Breakdown in the brain network subserving moral judgment in criminal psychopathy
J Pujol, I Batalla, O Contreras-Rodríguez, BJ Harrison, V Pera, R Hernández-Ribas, E Real, L Bosa, C Soriano-Mas, J Deus, M López-Solà, J Pifarré, JM Menchón, N Cardoner
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience | OXFORD UNIV PRESS | Published : 2012
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsr075
Abstract
Neuroimaging research has demonstrated the involvement of a well-defined brain network in the mediation of moral judgment in normal population, and has suggested the inappropriate network use in criminal psychopathy. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to prove that alterations in the brain network subserving moral judgment in criminal psychopaths are not limited to the inadequate network use during moral judgment, but that a primary network breakdown would exist with dysfunctional alterations outside moral dilemma situations. A total of 22 criminal psychopathic men and 22 control subjects were assessed and fMRI maps were generated to identify (i) brain response to moral dil..
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Grants
Awarded by Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias de la Seguridad Social
Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Clinical Career Development Award
Funding Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Javier Bosque Gracia, and Ms Immaculada Ibern Regas, Ms Montserrat Garcia Llovera, the members of the Centre Penitenciari de Ponent (Lleida) and all case and control participants of this study for their valuable contribution. We also thank the collaboration of the Secretaria de Serveis Penitenciaris Rehabilitacio i Justicia Juvenil and the Centres Penitenciaris de Catalunya. This work was supported in part by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias de la Seguridad Social (Grants PI050884 and PI0011006); the Departament de Justicia de la Generalitat de Catalunya; National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Clinical Career Development Award (I.D. 628509 to B.J.H.); 'Miguel Servet' contract from the Carlos III Health Institute, Spain (to C.S-M).