Brains of Boys With Conduct Disorder or Anti-Social Tendencies Are Different From Well-Behaved Teenagers

So it is true, there is more to "bad boys" than meets the eye: their brains are not the same as boys who have no anti-social tendencies. The parts of the brains of the former responsible for kindness and empathy are smaller compared to those of "normal" teenagers.

Scientists behind a study that makes use of brain scans has issued a statement that the brains of seriously anti-social teenage boys do not have the same built as the brains of their better-behaving counterparts. One of the scientists, Dr. Graeme Fairchild, from the University of Southampton's department of psychology, explained that based on the scans, the brain structure of teenaged boys who have problems with discipline and who exhibit unruly and even violent behavior have different frontal and temporal regions.

The findings were derived after scientists studied the cases and brain scans of 58 male adolescents and young adults with conduct disorder and 25 "typical" individuals. The subjects were all aged between 16 and 21 years old. Then these findings were replicated in 37 other teenagers with conduct disorder, and 32 "healthy" controls. They were all aged between 13 and 18.

Based on the scans, the amygdala and insula of the boys with conduct disorder were smaller compared to those of the "typical" boys. The amygdala and insula are the regions of the brain responsible for emotion perception, empathy and recognition of distress in others.

Psychiatrists have earlier made the suggestion that conduct disorder may not just be a pyshcological state. Evidence has already been presented that conduct disorder may be linked to altered brain structures that are associated with negative behavioral problems which include aggressiveness, physical violence, lying, stealing, and weapon use.

The usefulness of the results of this study are such that further research can be done to treat the effects of smaller amygdala and insula in individuals and to help lessen the tendencies of and even propensities for anti-social and violent behavior among people.