Associations between amygdala nuclei volumes, psychosis, psychopathy, and violent offending

Christina Bell; Natalia Tesli; Tiril P Gurholt; Jaroslav Rokicki; Gabriela Hjell; Thomas Fischer-Vieler; Ingrid Melle; Ingrid Agartz; Ole A Andreassen; Kirsten Rasmussen; Ragnhild Johansen; Christine Friestad; Unn K Haukvik

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111416

Associations between amygdala nuclei volumes, psychosis, psychopathy, and violent offending

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2022 Jan:319:111416. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111416. Epub 2021 Nov 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: chrbell@ymail.com.
² Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
³ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, Østfold Hospital Trust, Graalum, Norway.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁶ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Adult Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
⁷ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁸ St.Olavs Hospital, Forensic Research Unit, Brøset, Norway; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Psychology, and Department of Mental Health, Norway.
⁹ Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; University College of Norwegian Correctional Service, Oslo, Norway.
¹⁰ Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Adult Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.

PMID: 34847406
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111416

Abstract

The amygdala is involved in fear perception and aggression regulation, and smaller volumes have been associated with psychotic and non-psychotic violence. We explored the relationship between amygdala nuclei volumes in violent offenders with and without psychosis, and the association to psychopathy traits. 3T MRI scans (n = 204, males, 18-66 years) were obtained from psychotic violent offenders (PSY-V, n = 29), non-psychotic violent offenders (NPV, n = 19), non-violent psychosis patients (PSY-NV, n = 67), and healthy controls (HC, n = 89). Total amygdala and 9 amygdala nuclei volumes were obtained with FreeSurfer. Psychopathy traits were measured with the Psychopathy Checklist-revised (PCL-R). Multivariate analyses explored diagnostic differences in amygdala nuclei volumes and associations to psychosis, violence, and psychopathy traits. PSY-V had a smaller basal nucleus, anterior amygdaloid area, and cortical amygdalar transition area (CATA), whereas PSY-NV had a smaller CATA than HC. Volumes in NPV did not differ from HC, and there were no associations between PCL-R total or factor scores and any of the nuclei or whole amygdala volumes. The lower volumes of amygdala nuclei involved in fear modulation, stress responses, and social interpretation may point towards some mechanisms of relevance to violence in psychosis, but the results warrant replication in larger subject samples.

Keywords: Aggression; Anti-social behavior; Forensic psychiatry; MRI; Psychopathy; Schizophrenia.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aggression
Amygdala / diagnostic imaging
Antisocial Personality Disorder* / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Male
Psychotic Disorders* / diagnostic imaging
Violence