Advisory Committee Chair
Rajesh K Kana
Advisory Committee Members
Andrea L Glenn
Suzanne Perumean-Chaney
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2017
Degree Name by School
Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Prior research suggests that antisocial traits and behaviors often found in psychopathy are also present during childhood and adolescence. Thus, understanding the neurobiology of children and adolescents who are displaying early-signs of antisocial behavior can enhance the pace of diagnosis, allow for earlier and more effective intervention, and allow for researchers to record the developmental trajectory of these traits more accurately. This project used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) to examine the neuroanatomy of gray and white matter in 25 adolescent males, which were further analyzed using a regression model and the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI; Andershed, Hodgins, & Tengström, 2007). Results from MRI data suggest a negative relationship between the dishonest charm subscale and the cortical thickness of the right postcentral gyrus, as well as a negative relationship between the grandiosity subscale and cortical thickness of the bilateral superior temporal gyrus. A positive relationship was found between the unemotionality subscale and volume in the left anterior cingulate cortex. No relationships were established between white matter and antisocial traits. These findings add to the current literature about the development of antisocial traits in youth, specifically as they relate to the development of psychopathy.
Recommended Citation
Goodman, Emma Sartin, "Neuroanatomical Correlates of Antisocial Traits in Adolescent Males" (2017). All ETDs from UAB. 1764.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/1764
