Brain injury and the Amygdala Flashcards
how may brain injury be caused?
either through ilness or accident and can be either indirectly or directly.
what is an example of indirect brain injury?
alcohol abuse.
what can increased alcohol abuse cause?
it prevents the absorption of vital B1 vitamin, Thaimine in the CNS - this is a crucial brain nutriant.
what can injury to the brain cause to change?
personality changes
what part of the brain is linked with and controls impulsive behaviour?
the amygdala?
what may happen if the amygdala is damaged?
it may cause someone to be unemotional, impulsive and over-reactive. this therefore may lead to criminal behaviour.
what did williams find?
william’s found that 60% of 196 prisoners had some sort of brain injury.
what are some consequences of head injuries?
- poor social judgement
- reduced awareness of emotions
what % of offenders have head injuries?
50-80% which is much higher relative to head injuries in the whole population which is 10%.
what is a real life example of where someones personality has changed due to a injury in the brain?
Phineas Gage - a mental rode went through his brain and his whole personality changed - he become more aggressive and had animalistic qualities.
where is the amygdala found?
in the temporal lobe and is appart of the limbic system
what is the amygdala responsible for?
- controlling; emotion, fear and aggression.
who is an example of where damage to the amygdala can cause violent behaviour?
Charles Whitman - who shot his mother and wife before climbing Columbia university tower and shooting 6 civilians. - they found a tumour pressing on his amygdala after they carried out an autopsy, suggesting it to be involved.
