Russian neuroscientists from Novosibirsk State University and the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have identified a gene that is inherent in cruel and cold-blooded killers.
It turned out that the human dopamine receptor D4 gene is largely responsible for the brutal and cold-blooded murders. This is reported in an article published in the Journal of Criminal Justice.
The dopamine D4 receptor is one of five types of vertebrate dopamine receptors. The gene it encodes has been linked to a variety of behavioral phenotypes and disorders, including autonomic dysfunction, schizophrenia, and novelty seeking.
Researchers came to such conclusions based on the results of genotyping and studying the biographies of more than 150 criminals, 85 of whom were convicted of murder, and another 65 for causing grievous bodily harm. It turned out that all these people have a well-developed “cold”, planned aggressiveness, the presence of which is closely related to certain inactive forms of the dopamine D4 receptor.
Such conclusions run counter to the theory popular among Western researchers, according to which the vast majority of murders and other violent crimes are a direct consequence of impulsive aggressiveness in the offender, which, in turn, develops in childhood against the background of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Thus, the drug treatment methods for ADHD proposed in the West, which are actively used in Western preschool and school institutions, in many cases may be ineffective in preventing the commission of atrocious crimes in society.