Psychopaths lack empathy, much like individuals with brain damage

By Staff Writer

Many teens who misbehave at home or torment their peers at school are accused of showing a a blatant lack of respect to other people's feelings or emotions.

However, a new study shows that individuals who have been diagnosed as psychopathic do not have the ability to sympathize with others. Their lack of compassion and empathy is similar to the behavior found in individuals who suffer a frontal head injury that causes brain damage.

The study's researchers assessed 17 people who had been diagnosed by psychiatrists as psychotic, as well as 25 individuals who had suffered a frontal lobe injury. Each participant underwent a computerized test that examined their cognitive ability to recognize feelings in other humans and to demonstrate empathy for those thoughts.

The team found that both groups had similar difficulty in expressing empathy. However, two other control groups with no known mental disorders or brain damage showed more empathy toward other people's feelings. The study's lead author said that these findings reveal that psychopathic individuals may benefit from forms of treatment that are given to patients with brain damage.

Problem teens who show little care or compassion for their peers may benefit from wilderness therapy.