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The psychopathic traits boldness, meanness, and disinhibition are theorized to be underlined by trait fearlessness and externalizing vulnerability as etiologic neurobiological processes. However, little is known about the neurophysiological correlates of these traits. In this work, we explored how the three traits are associated with event‐related potential (ERP) components targeted at the etiological processes in a partial delayed threat conditioning task and in a go/no‐go task. Fifty community‐dwelling volunteers (25 women), without history of neurological or psychiatric conditions, were recruited and assessed for psychopathic traits using the triarchic psychopathy measure. Participants performed a threat conditioning task, and a go/no‐go task while undergoing an electroencephalography recording. Results from the threat conditioning task showed that boldness was significantly associated with reduced late positive potential. Concerning the go/no‐go task, disinhibition was significantly associated with reduced error‐related negativity ERP component. Overall, distinct psychopathic traits were found to be associated with distinct neurophysiological correlates of threat conditioning and response inhibition. This is consistent with models of psychopathy entailing trait fearlessness and externalizing proneness, and related brain mechanisms, as distinct processes underlying the expression of psychopathic traits. This study focuses on the neurophysiological basis of the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy. More specifically, on the neural correlates of the etiological pathways (trait fearlessness and externalizing vulnerability) underlying the expression of distinct psychopathic traits of the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy. The main results suggest that while boldness was associated with reduced brain activity to threat conditioning and a better estimation of the probability of occurrence of a threatening event, disinhibition was associated with reduced brain activity to the occurrence of errors. Thus, we provided evidence for trait fearlessness and externalizing vulnerability as putative etiological mechanisms underlying the expression of boldness and disinhibition psychopathic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests psychopathy is associated with structural brain alterations that may contribute to the affective and interpersonal deficits frequently observed in individuals with high psychopathic traits. However, the regional alterations related to different components of psychopathy are still unclear. We used voxel-based morphometry to characterize the structural correlates of psychopathy in a sample of 35 healthy adults assessed with the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure. Furthermore, we examined the regional grey matter alterations associated with the components described by the triarchic model. Our results showed that, after accounting for variation in total intracranial volume, age and IQ, overall psychopathy was negatively associated with grey matter volume in the left putamen and amygdala. Additional regression analysis with anatomical regions of interests revealed total triPM score was also associated with increased lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and caudate volume. Boldness was positively associated with volume in the right insula. Meanness was positively associated with lateral OFC and striatum volume, and negatively associated with amygdala volume. Finally, disinhibition was negatively associated with amygdala volume. Results highlight the contribution of both subcortical and cortical brain alterations for subclinical psychopathy and are discussed in light of prior research and theoretical accounts about the neurobiological bases of psychopathic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychopathic traits affect social functioning and the ability to make adaptive decisions in social interactions. This study investigated how psychopathy affects the neural mechanisms that are recruited to make decisions in the ultimatum game. Thirty-five adult participants recruited from the community underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning while they performed the ultimatum game under high and low cognitive load. Across load conditions, high psychopathy scorers rejected unfair offers in the same proportion as low scorers, but perceived them as less unfair. Among low scorers, the perceived fairness of offers predicted acceptance rates, whereas in high scorers no association was found. Imaging results revealed that responses in each group were associated with distinct patterns of brain activation, indicating divergent decision mechanisms. Acceptance of unfair offers was associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity in low scorers and ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity in high scorers. Overall, our findings point to distinct motivations for rejecting unfair offers in individuals who vary in psychopathic traits, with rejections in high psychopathy scorers being probably induced by frustration. Implications of these results for models of ventromedial prefrontal cortex dysfunction in psychopathy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the present report we analyzed the associations between the facets of the recent Triarchic Measure of Psychopathy (TriPM) and distinct dimensions of empathy, morality, and antisocial behavior. Three hundred and seventy-four participants from the community completed the TriPM, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Moral Foundations Questionnaire. A subset of one hundred and three participants completed a self-reported delinquency scale. In line with the multidimensional nature of the TriPM, we found that different facets of psychopathy were associated with distinct domains of empathy and morality. In addition, every TriPM subscale was positively related to self-reported delinquency, although meanness lost its predictive power when its shared variance with disinhibition was controlled. Our results lend conceptual validity to each of the Triarchic model’s traits and suggest that psychopathy should not be regarded as a unitary construct, but rather as a combination of dimensional traits with distinct etiologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CNV is analyzed in tasks related to EEG studies, often with participants presenting psychopathic personality traits. A systematic search of the literature was conducted, to solve some inconsistencies regarding CNV amplitude modulation by psychopathy. Nine studies (N = 317) were retrieved for analysis. Three meta-analyses were run – CNV, iCNV, tCNV. A qualitative analysis – reporting CNV amplitudes modulated by psychopathy dimensional features – was also featured. Overall effects for CNV and iCNV were not significant. Larger tCNV amplitudes were found in participants reporting higher psychopathy traits, g = −0.58, 95% CI [− 0.94, − 0.22]. These findings were surprising when confronted with previous assumptions in the literature, especially considering that no significant heterogeneity between studies was found. Neither of the studies' characteristics was a significant moderator. Findings require the need to discuss key differences between adaptive/(mal)adjustment patterns in participants presenting psychopathic traits. Future studies dissociating iCNV and tCNV modulation by psychopathy, especially in community samples and through a dimensional lens, could help to better understand the construct of psychopathy. • Larger tCNV amplitudes found in participants reporting higher traits of psychopathy. • No significant heterogeneity between studies was found. • Study and sample characteristics might have an important role in CNV modulation by psychopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]