Feed: Science Yahoo UK
Posted on: Thursday, May 02, 2013 23:32
Author: Science Yahoo UK
Subject: Scan patterns 'psychopathy markers'
Brain scans can be used to identify children who may be budding psychopaths, research has shown. Their brains show reduced activity in response to images of others in pain. The regions affected are those known to play a role in empathy, the ability to relate to other people's feelings. Scientists say the patterns could act as a marker singling out children at risk of becoming adult psychopaths. A total of 55 boys aged 10 to 16 were assessed in the study. Of these, 37 met the criteria for children with "conduct problems" (CP) according to questionnaire answers provided by parents and teachers. CP children display a plethora of antisocial traits including aggression and dishonesty. Like the central character in Lionel Shriver's novel We Need to Talk About Kevin, they can be callous and cruel. Youngsters with conduct problems are not likely to follow in Kevin's footsteps and commit a school massacre, but the research findings suggest at least some could grow up to be psychopaths. "Our findings indicate that children with conduct problems have an atypical brain response to seeing other people in pain," said psychologist Professor Essi Viding from University College London. "It is important to view these findings as an indicator of early vulnerability, rather than biological destiny. We know that children can be very responsive to interventions, and the challenge is to make those interventions even better, so that we can really help the children, their families, and their wider social environment." About 5% of children qualify for a diagnosis of CP, but little is known about the condition's underlying cause. The scientists, writing in the journal Current Biology, said: "We show that callous traits in particular may underlie atypical neural responses to others' pain in CP, which may represent an early neurobiological marker for later psychopathy. It remains an empirical question whether empathic responding can be normalised in children with CP." Not all children with conduct problems displayed a vulnerability to psychopathy, the researchers stressed. Prof Viding said: "This raises the possibility of tailoring existing interventions to suit the specific profile of atypical processing that characterises a child with conduct problems." |
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