Brains of men who hit their wives or girlfriends function differently than those of other criminals, according to a new study.
A new study from the University of Granada shows for the first time that the brains of men who assault their partners or ex-partners respond differently when exposed to images related to different types of violence, according to brain scan results using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Lead researcher Miguel Pérez García, professor of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatment at the University of Granada, said that the latest study is one of the only three in the world to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to analyze differences in the brains of batterers. García and his team believe that the latest findings provide important insight into violence against women and identifies some risk factors associated with repeat assaults in batterers.
The results revealed that batterers showed significantly greater activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the medial prefrontal cortex when exposed to pictures of intimate partner violence compared to when exposed to neutral images.
Researchers added that activation of these brain regions depends on the content of violence. Direct comparison of images of different types of violence showed a stronger response in the the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex when batterers were shown intimate partner violence images compared to images of other kinds of violence.
García said that the "results of these studies could have important implications to better understanding violence against women, as well as the variables that are related to recidivism in batterers." The researchers said that the findings may also explain the dysfunctional coping strategies, emotion regulation problems, fear of abandonment and emotional instability in men who engage in intimate partner violence.
The latest findings are important because victims of intimate partner violence suffer various physical and mental health problems.
"The women who have suffered intimate partner violence from their partner (or ex-partner) sustain a multitude of physical, psychological, neurological, and cognitive problems as a consequence of abuse. These negative effects can be caused by direct damage as a consequence of hits to the head; but also as indirect damage to the brain through cerebral alterations produced by psychological sequelae (most notably posttraumatic stress) and from the effect of cortisol in situations of chronic stress," said Natalia Hidalgo Ruzzante of the University of Granada who co-led the study.
"An adequate neuropsychological evaluation could delineate the possible cognitive, emotional, and behavioral alterations caused by this brain damage. Currently, battered women are not routinely evaluated for the diagnosis of potential neuropsychological deterioration, and even less when the only precursor is having been a victim of psychological abuse (and not physical)," Hidalgo Ruzzantes added.
The findings were published in the Feb. 16 issue of the journal of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
