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Cited by 888Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual OffendingNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Prefrontal structural and functional brain imaging findings in antisocial, violent and psychopathic individuals: a meta-analysis

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Yang, Yaling, Raine, Adrian·2009·Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
DOI 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.03.012PMC PMC2784035
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Abstract

Brain-imaging studies suggest that antisocial and violent behavior is associated with structural and functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex, but there is heterogeneity in findings and it is unclear whether findings apply to psychopaths, non-violent offenders, community-based samples, and studies employing psychiatric controls. A meta-analysis was conducted on 43 structural and functional imaging studies, and the results show significantly reduced prefrontal structure and function in antisocial individuals. Effect sizes were significant for both structural and functional studies. With minor exceptions, no statistically significant moderating effects of sample characteristics and methodological variables were observed. Findings were localized to the right orbitofrontal cortex, right anterior cingulate cortex, and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Findings confirm the replicability of prefrontal structural and functional impairments in antisocial populations and highlight the involvement of orbitofrontal, dorsolateral frontal, and anterior cingulate cortex in antisocial behavior.

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  • Similar structural abnormalities have been observed in other emotional instability disorders such as ASPD.

    “Similar structural abnormalities have also been observed in other emotional instability disorders such as ASPD (Yang and Raine, 2009).”

    From Top-Down Dysregulation—From ADHD to Emotional Instability (2016) · cites this paper as Yang and Raine, 2009

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Authors
Yang, Y., & Raine, A.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
Corresponding author
Yang, Yaling
ORCID
Venue
Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-11
Volume
174
Issue
2
Pages
81-88
ISSN
0925-4927 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.03.012
PMC
PMC2784035
OpenAlex
W1999048656
Cited by
888
References
9
Citations by year
2026: 33 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 64 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 60 · 2020: 104 · 2019: 88 · 2018: 80 · 2017: 72 · 2016: 55 · 2015: 67 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 37
FWCI
2.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (1f31mh079592-01a1)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F31 MH079592, 1F31MH079592)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD042259)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
antisocial behavior, violence, psychopathy, prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, nonviolent offenders, community sample
MeSH terms
Antisocial Personality Disorder, Brain Mapping, Diagnostic Imaging, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Personality Assessment, Violence, Prefrontal Cortex

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