Neurobiological bases to risk factors for offending- Part 1. Flashcards
Brain development:
What happens before birth?
When do the brain and nervous system become apparent around?
What form very fast?
1/4 of brain development.
3-4 weeks of development.
Neurons (neurogenesis)- continues throughout pregnancy.
Continuation of brain development:
What happens at 8 weeks of development?
What is the development of the brain during gestation (pregnancy) sensitive to?
8 weeks- neurons become specialised (go to the correct location)- then send out branches- form connections with other neurons in different parts of the brain.
Sensitive to the mother’s health, nutrition and environmental circumstances.
Continuation of brain development:
When does synaptogensis and myelination happen around?
What is synaptic pruning?
When does most myelination and synaptic pruning occur?
8 weeks.
Connections- used regularly- become stronger and more complex- those that are not are lost.
Occurs between the ages of 10 and 16.
Continuation of brain development:
What is myelination?
What does it allow for?
What makes it efficient?
Is the adolescence brain changing a lot crucial?
What can you do if your brain development goes well?
The increase in fatty sheath surrounding the axon of a neuron.
Allows for faster transmission of nerve impulses (increases efficiency).
Fatty acids.
Yes.
Behavioural level- capable of insight, judgement, inhibition, reasoning and social conscience.
Continuation of brain development:
In terms of this development, what develops last?
What does increased activity in the frontal lobe lead to?
Does this process continue into adulthood (over 25)?
The frontal lobe.
Decision making, problem solving, control of purposeful behaviours, consciousness and emotions.
Yes.
Continuation of brain development:
What is synaptogenesis?
In synaptogenesis, what are connections refined based on?
Formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system.
Sensory, motor, language, cognitive experience and parental-child interactions.
The social brain:
What 5 parts does the social brain consist of?
What can they all be referred to as?
What is this crucial for?
1) Orbital prefrontal cortex (OPFC).
2) Amygdala.
3) Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
4) Insular cortex.
5) Basal ganglia.
Extended limbic system.
Interacting and understanding others + supports emotions, behaviour and motivation.
Continuation of the social brain:
What is the OPFC important for?
Where is it located?
How is it measured?
What is response inhibition?
Controlling intense emotions and impulses.
Front part of the brain.
Response inhibition- task- have to press a button quickly when certain things come up like red dots + not press it when you see other colours (inhibit the response).
Ability to stop your automatic response.
Continuation of the social brain:
What is the amygdala for?
Where is it located?
Arousal + controlling responses related to fear, emotion and memory.
Deep in the temporal lobe.
Continuation of the social brain:
What is the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) involved in?
Where is it located?
What is it important for?
What happens if there is damage to this area?
Communication, cooperation and empathy.
Corpus callosum- below the cerebral cortices.
Antisocial behaviour research.
Decrease in empathy, emotional stability and inappropriate social behaviours.
Continuation of the social brain:
What does the insular cortex allow you to do?
Where is it located?
People to vicariously feel the emotions of others.
In the cerebral cortex.
Continuation of the social brain:
What does the basal ganglia do?
Where is it located?
Supports functions like cognitions and emotions.
Subcortically in the forebrain.
Evidence- of problems- in structural integrity- of brains of offenders- Part 1:
Who did one study in this area?
What did this study look at?
What technique did this study use?
How many individuals did they study?
What did they have?
Who did they compare them to?
Raine, Lencz, Bihrle, LaCasse and Colletti (2000).
Structural problems in offender brains.
Structural MRI.
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
Match group of substance users and non-offending controls.
Continuation from evidence- of problems- in structural integrity- of brains of offenders- Part 1:
What three things did they look at?
What did they find? 2 things.
What does this study support?
1) Volume of the structure of the brain.
2) Skin conductance.
3) Automatic arousal during a stress test (speaking whilst being detained).
1) 11% reduction in grey matter in OFPC of ASPD individuals compared to the other groups.
2) Those with ASPD have reduced heart rate and skin conductance.
Problems of structural integrity in the brain of offenders.
What differs for offenders and those with ASPD as compared to controls?
What do MRIs do?
Areas of the social brain.
Get different signals, produce different images and different analyses- also distinguishes between grey and white matter.
