The aim of the study is to perform an MR study with a 3T magnet in criminal psychopatic patient convicted for crimes, in order to analyze neural connectivity in specific brain region using Brain Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) functional sequences during the resting state. We hypothesize an abnormal functional connectivity within brain regions involved in moral reasoning, as known by literature, and we want to investgate its association with the psychopathic index (PCL-r).
This prospective study will include adult male prison inmates subject (
Since R.E.M.S. were opened no studies where published in literature, so we haven't yet any datas about Italian criminal population reclused in these structures. The results will offer a unique opportunity to explore the neural correlates of psychopathy in italian criminal population and to better comprehend mechanisms below the moral judgment.
The multidisciplinary approach to psychopaty provide innovative information over current state of the art, improving knowledge of the differences between psychopathic and non-psychopathic criminals, in view of medico-legal implications.
Since R.E.M.S. were opened in 2015 no studies where published in literature, so we haven't yet any datas about Italian criminal population reclused in these structures. Limited number of studies on Italian criminal population is remarkable, considering the high impact of this population on society.
In the REMS of ASL Rm5, NGRI and social dangerous people undergo to a very intense psychiatric treatment that include a complete assessment of mental functioning, including PCL-r for measuring psychopathic pathways and a risk assessment to evaluate future probability of violence. Clinicians should consider future circumstances that will be likely riskful and address what changes can be made to decrease those risks. However, an assessment based only on psychopathological pattern could not be enough to predict recidivism at the short-medium terms, because psychopathic could be able to minimize their symptoms.
Improving psychiatric assessment with better understanding of brain functioning is fundamental to extend the knowledge about this particular subgroup of criminal, and could aid in reducing crime rates through the reduction of recidivism rates. The strength of this project consists in the synergy between a neuroradiology unit equipped with a high-field MR system, where research team has a specific expertise in multimodal brain investigations and a psychiatric unit of the R.E.M.S in the ASL Rm5, devoted to forensic sample especially on psychopathic evaluation. The study will generate a comprehensive database including detailed biographical, clinical, judicial and neuropsychological data of NGRI social dangerous with functional and morphological brain characteristics of the same subjects. Such a dataset will offer unique opportunities to explore the neural correlates of psychopathy.
The multidisciplinary approach to psychopaty provide innovative information over current state of the art, improving knowledge of this complex disease to better understand differences between psychopathic criminals and non-psychopathic criminal. We aim to draw up a protocol trying to predict violence and recidivism of crime that could also be useful to develop specific treatment to reduce risk of violent behavior.