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ADVANCES IN NEUROPSYCHIATRY: Neuropsychiatry of frontal lobe dysfunction in violent and criminal behaviour: a critical review
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVES: To establish the link between frontal lobe dysfunction and violent and criminal behaviour, based on a review of relevant literature. METHODS: Articles relating evidence of frontal lobe dysfunction with violence or crime were collected through a MEDLINE search using the keyword "frontal lobe" combined with the terms "aggression," "violence," "crime," "antisocial personality disorder," "psychopathy," "impulse control disorders", and "episodic dyscontrol." Reference lists were then searched for additional articles. RESULTS: High rates of neuropsychiatric abnormalities reported in persons with violent and criminal behaviour suggest an association between aggressive dyscontrol and brain injury, especially involving the frontal lobes. The studies reviewed support an association between frontal lobe dysfunction and increased aggressive and antisocial behaviour. Focal orbitofrontal injury is specifically associated with increased aggression. Deficits in frontal executive function may increase the likelihood of future aggression, but no study has reliably demonstrated a characteristic pattern of frontal network dysfunction predictive of violent crime. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically significant focal frontal lobe dysfunction is associated with aggressive dyscontrol, but the increased risk of violence seems less than is widely presumed. Evidence is strongest for an association between focal prefrontal damage and an impulsive subtype of aggressive behaviour.
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“The PFC role in aggression has been studied in different species, e.g. PFC lesions result in impulsive and antisocial behaviors in humans [23] and offensive aggression in rodents [17].”
From Gene expression profiles underlying aggressive behavior in the prefrontal cortex of cattle (2021) · cites this paper as [23]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Brower, M. C.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Brower, M C
- Venue
- Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2001-12-01
- Volume
- 71
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 720-726
- ISSN
- 0022-3050 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC1737651
- OpenAlex
- W2106080733
- Cited by
- 567
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 2.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Historical and Modern Theater Studies
- Keywords
- frontal lobe dysfunction, violent behavior, criminal behavior, aggression, antisocial personality disorder, psychopathy, impulse control disorders, prefrontal executive function, brain injury, neuropsychiatric abnormalities
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Biological Psychiatry, Brain Diseases, Criminal Psychology, Criminology, Frontal Lobe, Craniocerebral Trauma, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neuropsychological Tests, Predictive Value of Tests, Research Design, Risk Factors, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Violence, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon, Neurocognitive Disorders
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