We encourage you to listen to an open online lecture during which dr Wojciech Glac from the Neurobiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Biology at the University of Gdańsk will talk about the brain and psychopathic personality.

The following answers to questions by dr Wojciech Glaca, neurobiologist, popularizer of science and scientist at the Faculty of Biology of UG, are only a foretaste of what we will be able to hear during the open online lecture on January 26, this year.

So dr., how does the brain of a psychopath work and where did your interest in this subject come from?

The brain of a psychopath is a bit scary, but at the same time fascinating. My interest in it arose from the need to understand the biological basis of predisposition to criminal behaviour in connection with a subject I have the pleasure of teaching on the Criminology course. In principle, the brain of a psychopath works just like any other brain, although of course, not all the processes that take place in it occur in the same way as in a non-disturbed person.

What distinguishes the brain of a psychopath from that of the average, mentally healthy person?

On an anatomical level, psychopaths may have reduced volume in certain areas of the brain, including the insular cortex and the amygdala, as well as connections between different brain regions. However, the main differences are not in the anatomy of the brain, but in its functioning, i.e. how the brain of a psychopath processes information and encodes it, and how it makes decisions. Related to this are altered functions of, among others, the prefrontal cortex, the cingulate cortex and others, including the aforementioned insular cortex or the amygdala. But not only that - I will try to talk about everything we know during the lecture.

What traits are hidden in the psychopathic personality?

A psychopath is primarily characterised by a deficit of empathy and anxiety. These traits result precisely from the altered functioning of the previously mentioned brain areas. Also, a psychopath may be characterised by disorders of certain processes related to the control of emotions and behaviour. And depending on the level of these deficits, the results are varying degrees of egoism and callousness, varying degrees of antisocial behaviour, manipulation and exploitation of others, risky behaviour, etc.

How does a psychopath act and think?

Because of the empathy deficit, a psychopath tends to focus more on his/her own emotions and needs, without considering the emotions and needs of others. Their brain, through lower empathy, but also through lower levels of anxiety, perceives and reacts less well to ethical or risk dilemmas that arise when analysing reality and planning behaviour. A psychopath is unable to fully empathise with another person's emotions, so he or she can easily decide to hurt another person and even take pleasure in doing so. Even after the fact, they have much less guilt or regret not having acted differently. This makes it much harder for them to learn from their mistakes, to form lasting relationships, and their behaviour remains directed towards fulfilling their own needs, often taking advantage of others whom they find easy to manipulate. This, of course, is just a snippet of the story of how the mind of a psychopath works.

There are many myths about psychopaths and their personalities. Can we dispel any of them?

One of the most widespread myths about psychopaths is that they are of above-average intelligence. Psychopathy is not associated with a higher intelligence quotient, rather the opposite relationship is observed. Of course, among psychopaths, one can find extremely intelligent individuals and it is their stories that are usually widely known, giving a misconception of their genius. The combination of high intelligence with a deficit of empathy and fear makes these people so vividly portrayed sometimes in books and films, at the same time terrifying and fascinating demons of evil, who can plan and carry out a series of macabre crimes in cold blood, taking pleasure in them, and at the same time playing a game of cat and mouse with the pursuing police officers. This is possible, but we are surrounded by slightly different psychopaths. Just as interesting and just as terrifying...