Example research essay topic: Frontal Lobe Prefrontal Cortex - 1,936 words

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Running head: SEXUAL PREDATORS BRAIN DAMAGE AND CHILD ABUSE Sexual Predators - Brain Damage and Child Abuse August 04, 2008 Sexual Predators Brain Damage and Child Abuse Introduction Despite numerous theories of sex offending, there is no generally accepted scientific substantiation of why sexual predators behave so. It is very likely that there are a number of independent and different causes, including those caused by brain impairment and brain damage. In case it is true, it suggests that a variety of prevention, identification, monitoring, and treatment methods may be required to reduce the levels of sexual victimization (La Fond, 2005). There are also assumptions that biological factors, including dysfunctions in certain regions of the brain or neurotransmitters may force people to engage in sexually deviant behavior. However, La Fond (2005) asserts that the research, so far, does not establish casual connection between biology and sexually deviant conduct.

Indeed, brain impairment and brain damage are often linked to the pathogenesis of sexual aberrations and sexual disorders. The recent experimental and clinical evidence based on traditional neuro diagnostic techniques has introduced the idea that there is a connection between sexual deviance and brain pathology. Yet, so far the methods that were traditionally used to determine the nature and peculiarities of brain damage were often not applied in studying sex predators, and namely, child abusers. Moreover, some methods used to determine brain pathology turned out to be ineffective to detect subtle evidence of brain damage. Therefore, the present study is aimed to establish the connection between brain impairment and disordered sexuality, namely, the connection between brain impairment and child abuse in sex predators. Human Brain in Sexual Violence Assessment It should be noted that human brain is the organ of behavior, emotion and mentation, as there is no other explainable source of these functions.

Also, there is an interrelation between human behavior and the function of human brain. Therefore, it is possible to make an assumption that brain damage or brain dysfunction may negatively affect human behavior and ability to control negative impulses. In other words, it is possible to conclude that sexual predators' behavior is affected by their brain activity. Therefore, to prove the hypothesis that drain dysfunction and brain damage may lead to the pathogenesis of sexual aberrations (e. g. child abuse), it is important to examine the brain activity and the way it functions.

According to the researchers, although the brain is an integrated whole of neural systems, there is a substantial degree of functional specializations, such as primary, secondary, tertiary cortex, localization, lateralization, etc. Also, so-called executive functions of human brain, which are mediated by associated cortical-subcortical loops (frontal systems) and anterior tertiary cortex involve the capacities to initiate, organize, modulate, plan, terminate, regulate and other ways allowing the person to control his or her behavior. Also, when the person faces the necessity to choose, and given that the persons executive functions of the brain are functioning correctly and are intact, he or she has the neurological capacity to exercise control over his or her behavior, however the person may choose to do or not to do so due to a number of reasons (e. g. , social, psychological, religious, cultural, etc. ). According to the researchers, there are few theories explaining the predisposition to sexual abuse. The main causes of it, therefore, basically include family dynamics, psychoanalytic or psychiatric, culture, patriarchy and misogyny, the experience of being a victim of sexual abuse, psychopathy and other mental disorders, inept social skills, faulty moral reasoning, or other possible causes that include but are not limited to punishment, alcohol abuse, opportunistic, developmental events and some others.

However, so far the area of volitional control is the element of sexual predator evaluations that seems to have almost no scientific evidence or empirical support. Logically, the most promising aspect of research for this element appears to be neuropsychological or physiological by nature. In addition, more and more researchers suggest that a specific type of sexual predators, especially violent offenders, those, who commit child abuse and psychopaths, may have different neurological and physiological underpinning contributing to the increased probability of committing violent acts. The scientists continue conducting studies and researches to prove argument that brain abnormality, brain damage, or brain dysfunctions may affect volition. At the same time, it is crucial to understand that only scientifically based actual testing is able to establish the presence of these supposed neuropsychological or neurological dysfunctions rather than adjusting to the hypothesis with no evident scientific or empirically proven support that sexual predators have brain damage due to simple fact that correlational evidence has been found. Miller et al (2005) insist that the most promising area of research likely to establish scientific evidence of diminished behavioral control is psychophysiological.

Prentky and Burgess (2000) consider that psychosis, senility, organicity and mental retardation may also be examined as dis inhibiting factors being conductive to the "relaxation of controls and the expression of a preexisting tendency to engage in a particular behavior. " Moreover, Bechara, Damasio & Damasio (2000) and Saver & Damasio (1991) claim that in the vast majority of cases, orbitofrontal abnormalities and dysfunctions have direct relation to aberrant sexual behavior, poor impulse control, as well as to personality disorders. Quinsey & La lumiere (1995) suggest that all these findings imply a similar, non psychosocial basis for sexual deviance and other anomalous sexual preferences. Also, there is an increasing interest in linking sexual deviance and sexual aggression to brain damage. Also, according to the researchers, there are biological tests able to make relatively valid prediction of potential criminal disposition with approximately the same strength as the best of individuals environmental cir measures cum stances correlations on the order of. 20 and. 40. Rowe (2002) in his scientific study Biology and Crime claims that correlation for the ratio of prefrontal grey matter volume to whole brain volume with APD = . 40. " As it was already mentioned, and as it was confirmed by MRI studies, there is approximately 11 % decrease in the volume of prefrontal cortex in psychopaths. In addition, many researchers in their findings report deficits in frontal lobe functions in psychopaths, if compared to non psychopathic offenders.

Also, it is interesting to note that psychopaths experiences more difficulties with labeling odors, if compared to non psychopathic healthy persons, showing the deficit, which often occurs in patients with frontal lobe damage (Englander, 2003). All these findings make possible to assume that there are certain areas of human brain that can be associated or being important and/ or conductive to sexual violence. These brain areas are limbic system - hypothalamus, amygdala, and orbital frontal cortex. Now, before we continue discussing the peculiarities of brain dysfunction in sexual predators, it is important to examine neuropsychological theory of sexual violence more thoroughly. Traditionally, hypothalamus is responsible for the four F's of biology, namely, feeding, fleeing, fighting, and sexual behavior. Hypothalamus also is involved with primitive, raw and reflexive emotions, which are short-lived and non-focused, such as pain, pleasure, hunger and thirst.

What concerns amygdala, if compared to hypothalamus' functions, it is much more advanced area of human brain. Amygdala is responsible for control and mediation of all higher-order motivational and emotional human activities and can induce extreme feelings of rage, pleasure, and fear. Amygdala damage leads to docile, extreme tameness, social agnosia, and hyperorality. Finally, as it was already mentioned, orbital frontal cortex is responsible for executive functions of the social and emotional areas of human brain.

Orbital frontal cortex has the highest control level over the lower so-called limbic human brain structures, such as amygdala and hypothalamus. Orbital frontal cortex is responsible for behavioral and emotional controls over lower impulses of human brain. In its turn, executive functions are responsible for formulation of goal, concept, for planning and organization skills and abilities, developing and performing goal-directed plans, effective performance, self-monitoring, self-control, and ability to use external feedbacks to modify own behavior. At the same time, dys executive syndrome involves changes in social behavior and personality that occur from impulsivity, dis inhibition and decreased ability to delay gratification, decreased frustration tolerance, difficulties in self-monitoring and self-awareness, as well as poor modulation of affect (lability). According to the researchers, possible brain damage and dysfunctions in sexual violence involve impulse control deficits, poor organization and planning, dis inhibition, limited behavioral repertoire, poor frustration tolerance, impaired verbal mediation of behavior, and lack of ability to appreciate consequences and wrongfulness of own behavior, to mention a few. It is also important to note that executive functions, which are located in the frontal lobe area (in the prefrontal areas in the medial or orbital structures), are crucial for socially responsible, appropriate adult behavior.

At the same time, poor performance in these regions are often related to violent and aggressive actions committed by psychiatric patients. Now, what concerns sexual predators and their behavior, the close proximity of sexual arousal and fight-or-flight responses in the brain is implicated in disorders of sexual violence (Miller, Agent, & Conroy, 2005). Hyde (2005) also reports the facts of persons with hyper sexual and pedophilic behaviors after experiencing some types of cerebral dysfunctions and insult, such as neurological diseases, CVA, and TBI, to mention a few. The researchers also claim that abnormal behavior in sexual predators, as well as paraphilia's and dis inhibited sexual behavior was found in persons with damage and dysfunctions in hypothalamus, frontal lobe, and septum (Prentky & Burgess, 2000).

In addition, inappropriate functioning of brain regions are often found in paraphiliac CSB, however, as it is claimed by Hyde (2005), as a group paraphiliac do not differ from controls in brain abnormalities. According to the scientists, the inappropriate functioning of frontal lobe in individuals may result in dis inhibition of sexual behavior and hyper sexuality. Moreover, frontal lobe dysfunction was more often related to hyper sexual behavior than other brain abnormalities and dysfunctions, while temporal lobe damage or dysfunctions were more often associated with pedophilia (Hyde, 2005). In addition, there are cases, when patients with paraphilia's and temporal lobe dysfunction were subjected to treatment, and when the damage was neurosurgical ly corrected, abnormal behavior disappeared (Hyde, 2005).

Also, there is evidence that Kluver-By syndrome, which is related to temporal lobe lesions, is associated with hyper sexuality in both humans and animals. As it was already mentioned, experimental studies on animals proved that decreased serotonin (5 HT) levels lead to increased levels of sexual arousal and sexual function, while increased level of serotonin leads to decreased sexual function. Foreman (2002) also assert that SSRIs most common ADR is inhibition of ejaculation / orgasm and decrease in sexual desire. " Brain Dysfunction in Sexual Predators According to the researchers, in the last few decades, studies of the minds of sexual predators and brain scans reported that there is an important factor that can be linked to the roots of violence, namely, poor function or damage of the prefrontal cortex, a part of the human brain behind eyes and forehead (Foreman, 2002). Although brain scan evidence is still rarely used in the courts and pre-trial examinations, this discovery seems to appear very important, as if given enough evidence, understanding the biological roots of sexual violence may enable developing effective intervention and prevention strategies, behavior modification or other methods enabling the doctors to offset violent tendencies in sexual predators. According to the theory, violent impulses occur in the deep regions of the limbic system, or so-called, emotional brain. After that the higher brain regions are involved (specifically, the prefrontal cortex) and the person decides, whether to obey these impulses or control them.

Allan Siegel, a neuroscientist at...

Research essay sample on Frontal Lobe Prefrontal Cortex