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POSTNOTE
April
The amygdala
The hippocampus
The hippocampus is part of the limbic
system and is associated with the
formation and contextualizing of
memories. Neurological findings for this
region have been mixed. The majority of
PTSD studies demonstrate suppressed
hippocampal activity during stressful
periods and following exposure to
emotional stimuli (Bremner, et al., 1999).30
However, several studies indicate
increased hippocampal activity when
encoding and recollecting traumatic
stimuli (Werner et al., 2009).31 Therefore,
the direction of hippocampal activity may
Limitations
A review of the literature reveals that the
atypical neural activity observed in PTSD
samples may be associated with
behaviours and mental states thatwhich
increase the likelihood of criminal
behaviour. However, there are several
limitations to these studies thatwhich
should first be considered.
First, neuroimaging research only
demonstrates correlational patterns, they
do not provide evidence for causal
Conclusion
This note has provided a brief overview of
the neuroimaging PTSD literature, discussing
the association between the amygdala,
hippocampus and mPFC and PTSD, and
their role in criminal behaviour.
Limitations of the literature have been
highlighted, including the
overrepresentation of military personnel
in study samples. Further,
recommendations for future research
have been proposed, including the study of
the neural activity of other anxiety disorders
to facilitate the distinguishing of PTSD.
Although it appears that neuroimaging
technology is not yet accurate enough to
diagnose PTSD; through it, our
understanding of the association between
PTSD and crime may improve and its use
in litigation is likely to expand.
Supplementary Notes
Definitions
Diagnostic Criteria
PTSD: (taken from the DSM 52)
Neuroimaging techniques
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