Altered Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Cortical Networks in Psychopathy

Abstract

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by callous antisocial behavior and criminal recidivism. Here we examine whether psychopathy is associated with alterations in functional connectivity in three large-scale cortical networks. Using fMRI in 142 adult male prison inmates, we computed resting-state functional connectivity using seeds from the default mode network, frontoparietal network, and cingulo-opercular network. To determine the specificity of our findings to these cortical networks, we also calculated functional connectivity using seeds from two comparison primary sensory networks: visual and auditory networks. Regression analyses related network connectivity to overall psychopathy scores and to subscores for the "factors" and "facets" of psychopathy: Factor 1, interpersonal/affective traits; Factor 2, lifestyle/antisocial traits; Facet 1, interpersonal; Facet 2, affective; Facet 3, lifestyle; Facet 4, antisocial. Overall psychopathy severity was associated with reduced functional connectivity between lateral parietal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. The two factor scores exhibited contrasting relationships with functional connectivity: Factor 1 scores were associated with reduced functional connectivity in the three cortical networks, whereas Factor 2 scores were associated with heightened connectivity in the same networks. This dissociation was evident particularly in the functional connectivity between anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. The facet scores also demonstrated distinct patterns of connectivity. We found no associations between psychopathy scores and functional connectivity within visual or auditory networks. These findings provide novel evidence on the neural correlates of psychopathy and suggest that connectivity between cortical association hubs, such as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, may be a neurobiological marker of the disorder.

Dissociable relations between amygdala subregional networks and psychopathy trait dimensions in conduct‐disordered juvenile offenders

“…Our results further revealed that behavioral psychopathic traits related to heightened BLA connectivity with a frontoparietal cluster formation potentially relevant to psychopathy [Cohn et al, 2015; Glenn et al, 2009; Juarez et al, 2013; Philippi et al, 2015], which extended from the posterolateral parietal cortices to dorsolateral, ventrolateral, and rostromedial prefrontal territories. While these interconnected neocortical regions clearly serve myriad of functions, recent theories surmise their collective functioning reflective of a frontoparietal control system, which ostensibly supports executive control and behavioral inhibition in the context of goal‐directed behavior [Bressler and Menon, 2010; Luckmann et al, 2014; Menon, 2011; Seeley et al, 2007].…”

“…Interpersonal psychopathic traits additionally related to stronger CMA connectivity with a network of cortical midline structures growingly implicated in psychopathy [Anderson and Kiehl, 2012; Philippi et al, 2015; Pujol et al, 2012], which extended from the precuneal and posterior cingulate cortices to rostral and ventral portions of the medial prefrontal territory. Notwithstanding their myriad functions, these interconnected cortical regions seem to serve as key nodes within the so‐called default mode network (DMN), whose network function putatively supports internally and externally directed sociocognitive processes [Andrews‐Hanna et al, 2010; Li et al, 2014].…”

“…Very few studies, though, have actually investigated amygdala functional networks in relation to psychopathy, yielding conflicting results of both enhanced and diminished network integrity [Aghajani et al, 2016; Contreras‐Rodriguez et al, 2015; Decety et al, 2013a; Finger et al, 2012; Marsh et al, 2011; Motzkin et al, 2011; Yoder et al, 2015]. Most of these studies additionally examined psychopathy as a categorical or unidimensional construct, overlooking its behaviorally and neuronally separable trait assemblies [Carre et al, 2013; Cohn et al, 2014, 2015; Philippi et al, 2015; Sadeh and Verona, 2008; Seara‐Cardoso and Viding, 2014]. For instance, while affective and interpersonal traits of psychopathy relate to blunted affective reactivity within emotion processing neurocircuitries (e.g., insula, amygdala, striatum), the opposite seems to account for behavioral psychopathic tendencies [Blair, 2013a; Buckholtz et al, 2010; Carre et al, 2013; Cohn et al, 2014, 2015b2014; Seara‐Cardoso and Viding, 2014].…”

“…Hence, little is known of how amygdala subregional networks may contribute to psychopathy and its underlying trait assemblies in severely antisocial people. This is of particular concern, as complex psychiatric phenomena like psychopathy are growingly conceptualized a constellation of co‐occurring neurocircuit‐based dimensional entities [Blair, 2015; Cohn et al, 2015; Morris and Cuthbert, 2012; Philippi et al, 2015]. Knowledge on how major amygdalar circuits may associate to different traits of psychopathy could thus provide crucial insights into the underlying neuropathology, possibly informing the development of reliable biomarkers and more effective treatment strategies.…”

“…For instance, while iFC of BLA and CMA subregions with the paralimbic system seemed disorganized in antisocial youth with affective traits of psychopathy [Aghajani et al, 2016], potential contributions of interpersonal and behavioral trait assemblies were not directly investigated. This could be potentially relevant, as psychopathy is growingly conceptualized a pathological constellation of co‐occurring traits with discrete neurobehavioral correlates [Blair, 2015; Cohn et al, 2015; Philippi et al, 2015; Seara‐Cardoso and Viding, 2014]. Following this perspective, Yoder et al .…”