It was bound to happen one of these days, I mean a curtain-raiser for a world symbolic to "Minority Report". WSJ reports (thanks) Jim Fallon's research to find the biological/neurological traits of a psychopathic killer and the research took an interesting turn as he too had inherited the traits of a psychopath. He has to be lauded for disclosing albeit the social effect that accompanies these revelations. The culprit once again is Serotonin (antidepressant Prozac is a Serotonin inhibitor).
"Dr. Fallon looked at about 20 genetic markers linked directly or indirectly to aggression, including compulsive behavior and mood. One marker, which has become a big target for research, is MAOA, or the "warrior gene." Because of the way a high-risk variant of the gene gets inherited, more males than females have it. MAOA regulates the hormone serotonin, which affects mood. In the womb, the high-risk version of MAOA can lead to a buildup of serotonin in the brain. In later life, says Dr. Fallon, this makes the brain less responsive to the normally calming effects of serotonin. Research has suggested that people who inherit the high-risk gene and are raised in abusive environments may be more prone to violent behavior when they get older.
A paper in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry earlier this year found that not only are boys who inherit a mutated MAOA variant more likely to be in a gang than those without the mutation, they are also more likely to be some of the most violent members. And according to a report in the journal Nature, an Italian court earlier this year reduced a convicted killer's sentence by one year because his psychiatric profile indicated he had abnormalities in brain scans and in five genes linked to violent behavior, including MAOA.
To his surprise, Dr. Fallon found that the analysis of his own brain showed he had inherited certain high-risk forms of MAOA and other various aggression-and violence-related genes.
"I'm the one who looks most like a serial killer," he says. It's disturbing."
Let's put that spontaneous disclaiming litany on hold for a moment, since Dr. Fallon's story has a beautiful dichotomy to it. It's obvious he is not a psychopath and does that mean all his findings are mere hogwash? No, what we inherit (by all means not our fault) is part of what makes "who we are and what we become" and there are so many other nuances like nurturing, family, social and culture which completes (and that's an ongoing process) who were are and what we become. (Blank Slate theory has been long-debunked and so far it looks like the slate is almost half full)
"Dr. Fallon's brain scans are revealing, too. The orbital cortex of the brain, which lies just above the eye sockets, is involved in social adjustment, aggression and impulsivity. It talks to the anterior temporal lobe, which is involved in the processing and memory of emotional reactions. In most people, when they're making certain decisions, both areas are switched on and are roughly in balance. When Dr. Fallon was tested and his brain was scanned, both areas were turned off.
"I'm still in balance, but I seem to have low emotional engagement," says Dr. Fallon, noting that the brains of many cold-blooded murderers reveal a similar picture.
Dr. Fallon thinks that one vital factor may have prevented him from becoming a killer. "I had a charmed childhood," he says. "But if I'd been mistreated as a child, who knows what might have happened?"
The importance of upbringing and nurture of a child is long known and we don't need neuroscience to vindicate that established fact. Where do Dr. Fallon's findings are gonna lead us? Science is a tool that tells the truth and the onus is on the society to utilize it in a pragmatic way. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite (Nitroglycerin, the remorse of which lead to establishing "Nobel Prize"), which lead to the excesses of Nitrogen produced for bomb during WWII, which mushroomed the fertilizer industries, which increased agriculture productivity and eventually to the dawn of "Green Revolution" (and "high fructose corn syrup" as well. Lets for the sake of convenience skip that "ingredient" for now).
History does teach us humans are capable of turning evil into good and that's the only reason we have come this far as a civilization.
"Dr. Fallon looked at about 20 genetic markers linked directly or indirectly to aggression, including compulsive behavior and mood. One marker, which has become a big target for research, is MAOA, or the "warrior gene." Because of the way a high-risk variant of the gene gets inherited, more males than females have it. MAOA regulates the hormone serotonin, which affects mood. In the womb, the high-risk version of MAOA can lead to a buildup of serotonin in the brain. In later life, says Dr. Fallon, this makes the brain less responsive to the normally calming effects of serotonin. Research has suggested that people who inherit the high-risk gene and are raised in abusive environments may be more prone to violent behavior when they get older.
A paper in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry earlier this year found that not only are boys who inherit a mutated MAOA variant more likely to be in a gang than those without the mutation, they are also more likely to be some of the most violent members. And according to a report in the journal Nature, an Italian court earlier this year reduced a convicted killer's sentence by one year because his psychiatric profile indicated he had abnormalities in brain scans and in five genes linked to violent behavior, including MAOA.
To his surprise, Dr. Fallon found that the analysis of his own brain showed he had inherited certain high-risk forms of MAOA and other various aggression-and violence-related genes.
"I'm the one who looks most like a serial killer," he says. It's disturbing."
Let's put that spontaneous disclaiming litany on hold for a moment, since Dr. Fallon's story has a beautiful dichotomy to it. It's obvious he is not a psychopath and does that mean all his findings are mere hogwash? No, what we inherit (by all means not our fault) is part of what makes "who we are and what we become" and there are so many other nuances like nurturing, family, social and culture which completes (and that's an ongoing process) who were are and what we become. (Blank Slate theory has been long-debunked and so far it looks like the slate is almost half full)
"Dr. Fallon's brain scans are revealing, too. The orbital cortex of the brain, which lies just above the eye sockets, is involved in social adjustment, aggression and impulsivity. It talks to the anterior temporal lobe, which is involved in the processing and memory of emotional reactions. In most people, when they're making certain decisions, both areas are switched on and are roughly in balance. When Dr. Fallon was tested and his brain was scanned, both areas were turned off.
"I'm still in balance, but I seem to have low emotional engagement," says Dr. Fallon, noting that the brains of many cold-blooded murderers reveal a similar picture.
Dr. Fallon thinks that one vital factor may have prevented him from becoming a killer. "I had a charmed childhood," he says. "But if I'd been mistreated as a child, who knows what might have happened?"
The importance of upbringing and nurture of a child is long known and we don't need neuroscience to vindicate that established fact. Where do Dr. Fallon's findings are gonna lead us? Science is a tool that tells the truth and the onus is on the society to utilize it in a pragmatic way. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite (Nitroglycerin, the remorse of which lead to establishing "Nobel Prize"), which lead to the excesses of Nitrogen produced for bomb during WWII, which mushroomed the fertilizer industries, which increased agriculture productivity and eventually to the dawn of "Green Revolution" (and "high fructose corn syrup" as well. Lets for the sake of convenience skip that "ingredient" for now).
History does teach us humans are capable of turning evil into good and that's the only reason we have come this far as a civilization.
No comments:
Post a Comment