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Brain structure may affect antisocial behavior in teens

By Staff Writer

Conduct disorders that become noticeable during an individual's teenage years may be caused by the smaller volumes of certain brain regions, as opposed to the previous notion that these adolescents learned their bad behavior from their peers, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

The researchers compared MRI results from 65 teenage boys who suffered from antisocial behavior and 27 who did not. The findings showed that the boys who exemplified mental disorders had significantly smaller amygdala and insula regions of their brains than the healthy males. These areas are associated with an individual's ability to empathize with other people and sense another person's distress.

The researchers noted that alterations in the grey matter density of antisocial teens' brains inhibits their perception of emotions. However, the investigators were not able to determine whether these changes were causes or symptoms of the disorder.

The medical team said they hope that these and future findings can be applied to new treatment methods for teens who suffer from antisocial behavior. Boarding schools may be able to provide unique resources for young individuals who develop conduct disorders, so that they may learn to cope with their illnesses.

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