Brain cable damage related to criminal behavior in new study

Based on the new study, 17 previously law-abiding cases developed a criminal tendency after brain damage.

The study was published in Molecular Psychiatry, identified damage to the right fascia, a white matter “cable” linking the emotional machining center to the area that controls moral choices, the most consistent finding that criminal behavior only occurs after stroke, tumor, or traumatic brain injury.

From court to laboratory

The study gained urgency from recent high-profile criminal cases where brain scans were introduced as evidence. The 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter’s defense cites white matter lesions visible on MRI, and an autopsy in Maine mass shooting games in 2023 showed experts speculated that experts speculated that their behavior.

“While brain damage can lead to problems with memory or motor function, the role of the brain in guiding social behaviors such as social behavior is more controversial,” said Dr. Isaiah Kletenik, lead author of the study and assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. “It raises complex questions about the culprit and free will.”

The researchers compared 17 people who committed crimes after brain injury to 706 people with other neurological symptoms, such as memory loss or depression. Analysis shows that damage to right fascia occurs more significantly in those who turn to crime.

Key findings include:

• 53%
• Only 8.6% of control cases have similar damage patterns
• Right UNING is the most closely related path of the 68 brain pathways analyzed
• Violent crime shows stronger association with this particular brain region

The Uncinate fascia acts like a biological Ethernet cable, connecting areas of the brain that handles rewards and consequences to manipulation emotions such as transference. When this connection breaks down, especially on the right, one may have difficulty controlling impulses, predicting the consequences of their behavior, or appropriate emotional responses to harmful behaviors.

“This part of the brain, the fascia, is a white matter pathway that acts as a cable connection area that governs emotions and decision-making,” explains Dr. Christopher Filley, a co-authorized professor of neurology, a co-authorized professor of neurology at the University of Colorado Medical School and research. “When this connection is disrupted on the right, a person’s ability to regulate emotions and make moral choices can be severely compromised.”

Beyond simple cause and effect

The researchers stressed that their findings did not create a simple equation that equals a criminal act. Many people who are injured like this never commit a crime, and most criminals may suffer from normal brain anatomy. The relationship seems to be more subtle – brain damage may lower the threshold for criminal behavior when combined with other factors such as genetics, environmental and social environment.

Interestingly, two cases in the study involved tumors that resulted in resolution of criminal behavior after surgical resection, which in some cases the anatomical changes driving criminal behavior may be reversible.

The study also found that other brain pathways, including the connection between the brain hemisphere and the circuit that connects the frontal cortex to deeper brain structures, showed damage patterns in criminal cases, although not as good as right unciness fasciculus.

“This work may have real-world implications for medicine and law,” Philip noted. “Doctors may be able to better identify high-risk patients and provide effective early interventions. Courts may need to consider brain damage when assessing criminal liability.”

These findings add scientific attention to the ongoing debate on how to interpret brain imaging in court, while raising profound questions about the biological basis of moral decision-making and the nature of personal responsibility when the brain’s moral compass malfunctions.

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