Project by: Olivia Cueto (11th Grade)
Project Advisor: Kara Luce
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Frank Portella

Description of the Project:

This is a research project digging deeper into what actually makes a criminal a criminal. I wanted to look inside the brain of a criminal and how to depict one early on. I chose to focus on the main questions of:

How do certain traumatic events lead to criminal activity? How do our brains differ from one who has experienced abuse/ traumatic events? How are chemical imbalances a key role in figuring this out? How does a mind of a criminal work? What makes them a criminal? 

Final Reflection on Learning:

While creating my honors project idea at the beginning of the trimester, I had not realized how sympathetic I would feel towards some of the criminals I would be researching about. Through the development of my project and my own knowledge, I was stuck in a dilemma of feeling bad for victims of abuse and wanting to help them but at the same time also feeling hatred towards them for the crimes they would commit. When seeing someone suffering, it’s natural for us humans to want to help them. But it’s difficult when that person suffering is the person is doing the wrong things. It causes our brains to feel conflicted and not know what immediate response to produce.

After completing my project, I realized that the way you think about criminals that commit crimes has to do with the perspective you have on the matter. Whether you are a family member of the criminal him/her self or a family member to the person who fell victim to the criminal, It can drastically change the way that you view the other person. 

This project pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and invest time in learning various perspectives to every party involved in a crime. From victim to criminal, to the doctors and coroners, so many people invest their time in these types of studies and it is my goal to continue to inform myself and others around me on the study of criminology.

Final Product (e.g., documents, images, video, audio, poster, display, etc.):

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Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3 (include any photos or video if relevant):

I have been doing research about parts of the brain that correspond with mental stability. Here is some of what I have collected so far:

The four main areas of the brain affected by trauma are:

• The hippocampus
• The Amygdala
• Prefrontal Cortex
• Brain Stem 

When we are in a scary situation of some kind, the brain releases two different types of hormones called cortisol and adrenaline. 

Cortisol affects the hippocampus

“Cortisol has been shown to damage cells in a part of the brain called the hippocampus that is responsible for laying down and integrating memory.” 

“…people who suffer from chronic trauma, for example from childhood abuse, actually have a smaller hippocampus.”

“Having a smaller hippocampus may contribute to difficulties with learning and memory” however, based on scientific research, the damaged cells in the hippocampus have the ability to cling to other cells in the brain and become stronger and rehabilitated

A smaller hippocampus can cause anxiety, depression, and countless other mental health disorders. 

“a second stress hormone called adrenalin gets released into the bloodstream that then cranks up an area of the brain called the amygdala and sends it into overdrive.”

Adrenalin affects the amygdala 

“The amygdala is responsible for laying down emotional memory and is important in detecting emotions such as fear. This helps to explain why an emotionally charged moment can be seared into our brain (overactive amygdala) but the details surrounding the experience can be unclear (underactive hippocampus).”

-orbital cortex-balances amygdala

Week 2+3:

NPR.org Article on James Fallon:

• Discovered that an ancestor of his had a “criminal” brain and was a murderer. He wanted to find out if it is possible that he could have the same brain. Because he was a neurologist, he knew what to look for/ find out when he was doing his research on the human brain. When looking at the picture of the “criminal” brain, he found something crazy to him. 
• James saw that the orbital cortex was much much smaller than a “normal” person’s brain. It was practically invisible. Because of the almost nonexistent orbital cortex, the amygdala which is connected to that section of the lobe was also very imbalanced and unhealthy. (The amygdala controls the emotions)
• People can have a smaller orbital cortex for many many reasons. By trauma, head injuries, or the person could have just been born with a small-scaled orbital cortex. 
• After James got a PET scan from everyone in his family, everything seemed normal. But then he took his own PET scan just to make sure. And he saw that his orbital cortex was inactive and completely dark-spotted on the scan. 
• Because of James’ genetic makeup and PET scan, he now looked at himself in a completely different way. He now saw a potential psychopath
• The whole journey of studying his own brain made him think about others’ brains differents. Specifically, when thinking about criminals, they may have just gotten the “bad roll of the dice”
• But then he asks us, viewers, a question about whether the “neuro-law” should be affected when thinking about it in this type of perspective. Should criminals be convicted for crimes that they cannot control? 

Psychology Today: How Treatments Affect the Brains of People with PTSD:

• Both psychotherapies and medicines such as antidepressants are able to help a victim of traumatic events look at their past from a different perspective. In a better, more understanding manner. But does this mean that they are always effective?

• PTSD is a bit different. It needs to be treated differently than something like depression. Therapies either medicine or with a psychologist do not work as effectively. People that suffer from PTSD have a much harder time tapping into their memory and becoming vulnerable about what they have been through. This is challenging because it doesn’t leave a lot of room for growth or positive reactions from therapy. 

• “They are hyperactive to threat (amygdala)”

• Sometimes PTSD is cured by reducing activity in the amygdala. 

• PTSD= less activity in the frontal cortex

• Fear rises and positivity lowers – this doesn’t only apply to PTSD, but it also ties in with many other mental illnesses 

Week 4 + 5:

Focused on:

-MAO gene

-What sort of responses trigger the MAO gene to act in violence?

-Amygdala- what is the main function?

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/05/232023/maoa-warrior-gene-murder-serial-killers

monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) – commonly called the “serial killer gene”

• “responsible for breaking down molecules, specifically the neurotransmitters serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine, according to the National Institute of Health’s Genetic Home Reference. “

Neurotransmitters control your moods, appetite, and sleep schedule.

When people speak about the (MAOA) gene is a serial killer gene this is referring to the idea that if they have a rare genetic disease/mutation where their MAOA is either unhealthy or imbalanced, it can cause rare impulsive behavior or cause someone to act out violently. 

• “MAOA deficiency is an inherited condition, and it tends to be more common in men. (Since the condition is considered “X-linked,” and it’s recessive, it’s harder for women with two X chromosomes to end up with it.”

 Yes, this is all completely true, however, it can still occur in women. If someone has traumatic events at a young age, the gene has a very very big chance of acting up and making the person act up violently no matter the gender.

Based off of my reading of the article, yes serial killers can have this MAOA gene, although so can very normal people who dont feel the trigger to act in violence. 

What is the amygdala? What does it do? 

https://www.britannica.com/science/amygdala

“Dysfunction within the amygdala and the neural circuits connecting the amygdala with a variety of cortical and subcortical structures likely contributes to the pathophysiology (disease-associated physiological processes) of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the precise mechanisms responsible for those disorders remain poorly understood. The anatomical interconnections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, which likely are critical for normal adaptive emotional behavior, do not fully develop until early adulthood. Many neuropsychiatric disorders emerge during or before that time. Work in animals and studies of clinical populations suggest a role for amygdalar dysfunction in anxiety disorders, addiction, and complex neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, where clinical features include social, cognitive, and affective components. “ 

The amygdala is directly in front of the hippocampus 

It is part of the “limbic system” which means that it controls emotional responses and memory

Only recently have scientists discovered that the amygdala is connected to both positive and negative emotions- not only negative emotions. 

Interestingly, the amygdala is also connected to your smell. Which is why sometimes we recognize old smells we remember from our childhood. 

The amygdala also regulates “decision making, attention, and memory.” It controls the way we learn as well, which is interesting because if someone learns emotions the wrong way- through abuse or trauma for instance- then the amygdala teaches them that that is what is normal.

“There exist a vast array of human emotions, ranging from joy to sadness, disgust to the excitement, and regret to satisfaction”