Are batterers different from other criminals? An fMRI study

Bueso‐Izquierdo, Natalia; Verdejo‐Román, Juan; Contreras‐Rodríguez, Oren; Carmona-Perera, Martina; Pérez-Garcı́a, Miguel; Hidalgo‐Ruzzante, Natalia

doi:10.1093/scan/nsw020

Cited by 36 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…Furthermore, brain differences have been found when comparing batterers with other criminals. In a group of batterers, Bueso-Izquierdo et al (2016) found similar patterns of brain activity to those reported by Lee et al (2008Lee et al ( , 2009 in emotional areas and areas of the default mode network (DMN) when they were watching IPV images. Moreover, some studies have also reported structural brain differences between batterers and other criminals (Verdejo-Roma´n et al, 2019), although these differences are not related to the presence of brain damage (Bueso-Izquierdo et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…The observation of a specific pattern of brain functioning in batterers has also been found in other studies. Bueso-Izquierdo et al (2016) found that batterers, compared with other criminals, showed activation of the medial prefrontal cortex, the PCC, and the left angular gyrus when they saw images of IPV, but not of GV. Verdejo-Roma´n et al (2019) have also found lower volume in the areas related to emotional processing compared with other delinquents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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“Would You Allow Your Wife to Dress in a Miniskirt to the Party”?

Marín‐Morales

Bueso‐Izquierdo

Hidalgo‐Ruzzante

et al. 2020

J Interpers Violence

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Moral convictions consist of assessments based on perceptions of morality and immorality, of right and wrong. There are people who, based on morality, commit crimes. For instance, social and moral norms based on inequality appear to play an important role in the batterer’s behavior to commit violent acts. Research shows that batterers consider themselves to be moral persons, are defenders of their beliefs, and, if necessary, are self-delusional, enjoying a “feeling” of moral worth. The main aim of this work was to uncover the brain mechanisms underlying moral decision making related to intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study comparing moral decisions related to IPV and general violence (GV) in a sample of convicted Spanish men. The two groups of our sample were recruited from the Center for Social Insertion (CSI; Granada, Spain): batterers (BG, n = 21), people convicted for IPV, and other criminals (OCG, n = 20) convicted of violating other legal norms without violence against people. Greene’s classical dilemmas were used to validate IPV and GV dilemmas. First, our results showed that IPV and GV dilemmas activate the same brain areas as those activated by Greene’s dilemmas, primarily involving the default mode network (DMN), which suggests that IPV and GV dilemmas are both moral dilemmas. Second, our results showed that other criminals activated the DMN during both types of dilemmas. Nevertheless, batterers activated the DMN during the GV dilemmas but not during the IPV ones, suggesting that decisions about their female partners do not entail moral conflict. Thus, these preliminary results showed that batterers do not activate moral areas during IPV dilemmas specifically, but do so during GV dilemmas. These results suggest that intervention programs for batterers should aim to specifically modify the value system held by the abuser toward his female partner and not toward other people.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“Would You Allow Your Wife to Dress in a Miniskirt to the Party”?

Marín‐Morales

Bueso‐Izquierdo

Hidalgo‐Ruzzante

et al. 2020

J Interpers Violence

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“…Research has investigated perpetrators of IPV, using MRI to identify changes in brain activity and structure that may influence the propensity for committing IPV, including evidence that reduced DMN activation suggests perpetrators do not view IPV-related decisions towards their partners as a moral conflict ( Marín-Morales et al, 2020 ), a higher ratio of dorsal/ventral medial prefrontal cortex reactivity gradient is indicative of increased aggression in IPV perpetration ( Chester and DeWall, 2019 ), perpetrators exhibit differential activation of the cingulate and prefrontal cortices in response to IPV imagery ( Bueso-Izquierdo et al, 2016 ), and may have structural deficits in the amygdala ( Zhang et al, 2013 ), with alterations in cortical gray matter thickness among perpetrators of IPV ( Verdejo-Román et al, 2019 ). It is crucial to identify how we can improve the quality of care for existing and future survivors of IPV by increasing awareness and further emphasizing the importance of screening for TBI among at-risk individuals to improve health outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain Injury and Mental Health Among the Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Case-Series Exploratory Study

et al. 2021

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Intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors frequently report face, head, and neck as their injury site. Many mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are undiagnosed or underreported among IPV survivors while these injuries may be linked to changes in brain function or pathology. TBI sustained due to IPV often occurs over time and ranges in severity. The aim of this case-series study was to explore risk factors, symptoms, and brain changes unique to survivors of intimate partner violence with suspicion of TBI. This case-series exploratory study examines the potential relationships among IPV, mental health issues, and TBI. Participants of this study included six women: 3 women with a history of IPV without any experience of concussive blunt force to the head, and 3 women with a history of IPV with concussive head trauma. Participants completed 7T MRI of the brain, self-report psychological questionnaires regarding their mental health, relationships, and IPV, and the Structured Clinical Interview. MRI scans were analyzed for cerebral hemorrhage, white matter disturbance, and cortical thinning. Results indicated significant differences in resting-state connectivity among survivors of partner violence as well as differences in relationship dynamics and mental health symptoms. White matter hyperintensities are also observed among the survivors. Developing guidelines and recommendations for TBI-risk screening, referrals, and appropriate service provision is crucial for the effective treatment of TBI-associated IPV. Early and accurate characterization of TBI in survivors of IPV may relieve certain neuropsychological consequences.

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“…The imaging results were corrected for multiple comparisons using the Alphasim thresholding approach implemented in SPM REST toolbox [37]. This method is one of the most used in neuroimaging [38][39][40]. To determine whether a cluster of significant results is corrected for multiple comparisons, the Alphasim tool run Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the minimum cluster extent required based in a previously selected p-value.…”

Section: Threshold Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Increased Amygdala Activations during the Emotional Experience of Death-Related Pictures in Complicated Grief: An fMRI Study

Fernández‐Alcántara

Verdejo‐Román

Cruz-Quintana

et al. 2020

JCM

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Complicated grief (CG) is associated with alterations in various components of emotional processing. The main aim of this study was to identify brain activations in individuals diagnosed with CG while they were observing positive, negative, and death-related pictures. The participants included 19 individuals with CG and 19 healthy non-bereaved (NB) individuals. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were obtained during an emotional experience task. The perception of death-related pictures differed between the CG group and the NB group, with a greater activation in the former of the amygdala, putamen, hypothalamus, middle frontal gyrus, and anterior cingulate cortex. Amygdala and putamen activations were significantly correlated with Texas Revised Inventory of Grief scores in the CG group, suggesting that the higher level of grief in this group was associated with a greater activation in both brain areas while watching death-related pictures. A significant interaction between image type and group was observed in the amygdala, midbrain, periaqueductal gray, cerebellum, and hippocampus, largely driven by the greater activation of these areas in the CG group when watching death-related pictures and the lower activation when watching positive-valence pictures. In this study, individuals with CG showed significantly distinct brain activations in response to different emotional images.

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Are batterers different from other criminals? An fMRI study

Cited by 36 publications

References 42 publications

“Would You Allow Your Wife to Dress in a Miniskirt to the Party”?

“Would You Allow Your Wife to Dress in a Miniskirt to the Party”?

Brain Injury and Mental Health Among the Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Case-Series Exploratory Study

Increased Amygdala Activations during the Emotional Experience of Death-Related Pictures in Complicated Grief: An fMRI Study

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