Expertise:
Approximately 2% of the population is responsible for the vast majority of planned and intentional aggressive acts. Much aggressive behavior is the result of unplanned reactions to situations, but some aggression is predatory. This includes premeditated crimes such as assault, armed robbery, rape, and homicide. A small number of individuals with psychopathic characteristics are responsible for most such predatory crimes. The key characteristic of predatory criminals is their lack of empathy for others. There is emerging evidence that gene variants influencing oxytocin, vasopressin, and the dopamine system are associated with decreased empathy. An important test would use functional imaging of localized brain activation in response to depictions of persons in pain to related variations to genetic variants.
Specific research projects:
-- Analyses of a large, nationally-representative, longitudinal sample of women and their offspring to identify environment risk factors for antisocial behavior while controlling genetic influences and to test for gene-environment interactions in the presence of gene-environment correlation
-- Testing the predictive validity of the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder when those criteria are used with preschool children. This study was expanded to included tests of the association of dopamine system genes with this and related disorders
-- Analyses of data from the Adolescent Health Study testing for association of dopamine system genes with delinquent behavior |
