Re: Sociopaths (was Re: Reforming Education)

From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Tue Oct 19 1999 - 11:37:21 MDT


>Yes, this might help. Cognitive therapy is being tested to treat
>antisocial personality disorder (usually in prisons; otherwise the
>patients are rather uncooperative). I'm not sure how well it works,
>the medline abstracts I looked at had rather mixed results.

NEW YORK (AP) - A key part of the brain's circuitry for learning
moral and social rules lies right behind the forehead, a study
suggests. Antisocial behavior might depend at least in part on
malfunctions in this circuitry, researchers said. But it's too early
to draw conclusions, and the study doesn't mean that all antisocial
behavior can be blamed on damage to this area, said lead author
Steven W. Anderson. The area, called the prefrontal cortex, has long
been known to affect social behavior. Prior studies show that people
who sustain damage to it as adults can start acting irresponsibly. A
happily married man, for example, might take up with prostitutes and
start bouncing checks.



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