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Damage to Brain’s Right Uncinate Fasciculus Linked to Post-Injury Criminal Behavior

Researchers found that disrupting this white matter tract can undermine moral regulation, pointing to new criteria for evaluating legal responsibility.

They confirmed that the right uncinate fasciculus was the neural pathway with the most consistent link to criminal behavior. Credit: Neuroscience News
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Overview

  • Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the researchers compared brain scans from 17 individuals who began criminal behavior after brain injuries with 706 control patients exhibiting other neurological issues.
  • Injuries to the right uncinate fasciculus were the most consistent finding among those with new onset criminal or violent acts.
  • The right uncinate fasciculus connects brain regions responsible for emotion processing with areas that guide decision-making.
  • Connectome analysis reinforced that disrupting this tract may impair impulse control, empathy and moral judgment.
  • The findings could help clinicians identify at-risk patients early and encourage courts to factor brain damage into assessments of criminal responsibility.