A brain imaging (single photon emission computerized tomography) study of semantic and affective processing in psychopaths

Joanne Intrator; Robert Hare; Peter Stritzke; Kirsten Brichtswein; David Dorfman; Timothy Harpur; David Bernstein; Leonard Handelsman; Clara Schaefer; John Keilp; Joel Rosen; Josef Machac

doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(96)00290-9

A brain imaging (single photon emission computerized tomography) study of semantic and affective processing in psychopaths

Joanne Intrator, Robert Hare, Peter Stritzke, Kirsten Brichtswein, David Dorfman, Timothy Harpur, David Bernstein, Leonard Handelsman, Clara Schaefer, John Keilp, Joel Rosen, Josef Machac

Friedman Brain Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

165 Scopus citations

Abstract

Psychopaths have been described as human predators who use charm, intimidation, and violence to control others and to satisfy their own needs. Underlying their propensity to violate social norms and expectations is a profound lack of empathy, guilt, or remorse, affective processes that have long resisted scientific investigation. Using brain imaging technology we found that psychopaths differed from nonpsychopaths in the pattern of relative cerebral blood flow during processing of emotional words. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that there are anomalies in the way psychopaths process semantic and affective information.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	96-103
Number of pages	8
Journal	Biological Psychiatry
Volume	42
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(96)00290-9
State	Published - 15 Jul 1997

Keywords

Affect
Brain imaging
Language
Lexical decision
Psychopath

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10.1016/S0006-3223(96)00290-9

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Intrator, J., Hare, R., Stritzke, P., Brichtswein, K., Dorfman, D., Harpur, T., Bernstein, D., Handelsman, L., Schaefer, C., Keilp, J., Rosen, J., & Machac, J. (1997). A brain imaging (single photon emission computerized tomography) study of semantic and affective processing in psychopaths. Biological Psychiatry, 42(2), 96-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(96)00290-9

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Intrator, J, Hare, R, Stritzke, P, Brichtswein, K, Dorfman, D, Harpur, T, Bernstein, D, Handelsman, L, Schaefer, C, Keilp, J, Rosen, J & Machac, J 1997, 'A brain imaging (single photon emission computerized tomography) study of semantic and affective processing in psychopaths', Biological Psychiatry, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 96-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(96)00290-9

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AU - Intrator, Joanne

AU - Hare, Robert

AU - Stritzke, Peter

AU - Brichtswein, Kirsten

AU - Dorfman, David

AU - Harpur, Timothy

AU - Bernstein, David

AU - Handelsman, Leonard

AU - Schaefer, Clara

AU - Keilp, John

AU - Rosen, Joel

AU - Machac, Josef

PY - 1997/7/15

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AB - Psychopaths have been described as human predators who use charm, intimidation, and violence to control others and to satisfy their own needs. Underlying their propensity to violate social norms and expectations is a profound lack of empathy, guilt, or remorse, affective processes that have long resisted scientific investigation. Using brain imaging technology we found that psychopaths differed from nonpsychopaths in the pattern of relative cerebral blood flow during processing of emotional words. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that there are anomalies in the way psychopaths process semantic and affective information.

KW - Affect

KW - Brain imaging

KW - Language

KW - Lexical decision

KW - Psychopath

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JO - Biological Psychiatry

JF - Biological Psychiatry

IS - 2

ER -

A brain imaging (single photon emission computerized tomography) study of semantic and affective processing in psychopaths

Abstract

Keywords

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