Raine et al (1997)

Brain Abnormalities in Murderers Indicated by Positron Emission Tomography

KEY - Evaluative Points

AIMS

• Participants pleading NGRI (Not Guilty by Reasons of Insanity) would show brain dysfunctions in the areas of the brain that are heavily associated with aggressive behaviour.
• These areas include > the prefrontal cortex, angular gyrus, amygdala, the hippocampus, the thalamus and the corpus callosum.

PROCEDURE

• 2 groups of 41 people > 39 males and 2 females.
• Experimental group consisted of 41 criminals who had been convicted of either murder or manslaughter > investigated in terms of NGRI > cause and effect
• Experimental group included > 6 schizophrenics, 23 who had suffered organic brain damage/ head injury, 3 had issues with substance abuse, 2 had affective disorder, 2 had epilepsy, 3 had suffered with either a learning diability or hyperactivity, and 2 had been diagnsoed with passive-aggressive/ paranoid personality disorder.
• All particiapnts were kept medication free approximately 2 weeks before the PET scan > Standardisation
• Control Group .> had been matched with the experimental group based on their age and gender.
• All control group…