Brain and Crime

Hanna Swaab is Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist, full professor in Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences and Director of the outpatient clinic and Center of Expertise LUBEC at Leiden University. Her research concerns neurocognitive mechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders. She was dean of the faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Leiden University in Leiden from 2013-2019 and is responsible for the post-master certified training programs for specialists in Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology in the Netherlands. Gerben Meynen, psychiatrist, received a PhD in Philosophy as well as in Medicine. He is professor of Forensic Psychiatry, Utrecht University, and professor of Ethics, in particular bioethics, VU University Amsterdam. His research interests include neurolaw and legal insanity. He is principal investigator of the project Law and Ethics of Neurotechnology in Criminal Justice of the research programme Vici (project number VI.C.201.067) which is financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

Section I. Introduction 1. Introduction: On brain and crime

Section II. Structure and Function 2. Genetics and epigenetics of human aggression 3. Network localization of antisocial behavior in neurological patients: Evidence and implications  4. Prison and the brain 5. Forensically relevant challenging behaviours and the genetics domain 6. Social-affective functioning and learning in psychopathy 7. Amygdala connectivity and ggression 8. The "(a)moral brain": When things go wrong

Section III. Brain dysfunction 9. Illicit drug use and violence 10. Child maltreatment and victimization 11. Sexual offenses and the brain 12. The risk of criminal behavior in the elderly and patients with neurodegenerative disease 13. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the risk of crime

Section IV. Assessment and Treatment 14. Cognition, criminal conduct, and virtual reality: Understanding and reducing offending using simulated environments 15. Added value of neurotechnology for forensic psychiatric and psychological assessment

Section V. Ethics and Law 16. Neurolaw: Challenges and limits 17. Why neuroscience changes some things but not everything for the law 18. Neurotechnology to reduce recidivism: Ethical and legal challenges