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Psychopaths show overactive dopamine systems

You are here: Home / Explaining the sociopath / Psychopaths show overactive dopamine systems

March 16, 2010 //  by Donna Andersen//  271 Comments

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Why do psychopaths go after what they want regardless of the negative consequences they may experience? According to the journal Nature Neuroscience, the answer may be chemical—an overactive dopamine reward system.

Read Driven toward reward without regard for consequence on Time.com.

Read the scientific study, Mesolimbic dopamine reward system hypersensitivity in individuals with psychopathic traits, in Nature Neuroscience.

Link submitted by a Lovefraud reader via Facebook.

Category: Explaining the sociopath, Scientific research

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  1. one/joy_step_at_a_time

    April 1, 2010 at 11:24 am

    hens – i feel this way , too – don’t rush it. i want to go deep in me heart to understand. i have to manage the anxiety and PTSD, because i must work (and find work) and because i don’t want this to cause me to go into a negative spiral. i think these things are big challenge for me.

    i am walking with my own shadow now. and some part of me feels deeply nourished by that, and i suspect it feels a bit safer to not have anyone in very close, nor expect it.

    it is huge. i wish my friends could understand. i don’t try to make them – but i did recently connect lf to my facebook page, so they get to see the article posts at lovefraud facebook. kinda like leaving pamphlets around the house. 😉

    and EB – you’re an effing marshmallow.

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