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The following is a summary of “Individual-level deviations from normative brain morphology in violence, psychosis, and psychopathy,” published in the April 2025 issue of Translational Psychiatry by Haukvik et al. 

Brain abnormalities are linked to violence and psychosis, but findings vary across studies. Normative modeling offers individualized insight but remains unused in forensic psychiatry. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine brain morphological abnormalities linked to violence and psychosis using normative modeling.  

They examined brain heterogeneity in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD)-V (n=38), SSD-NV (n=138), nonSSD-V (n=20), and HC (n=196) using normative trajectories of cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes. Normative models based on Freesurfer regions from 58,836 individuals assessed individual deviances, group differences, and psychopathy trait associations. 

The results showed heterogeneous deviations most prominent in the collateral transverse sulcus, lingual gyrus, and cerebellum among SSD-V, differing from SSD-NV (parieto-occipital, suborbital sulci) and nonSSD-V (paracentral, middle frontal regions). No significant associations to psychopathy traits were found. 

Investigators applied normative modeling and found heterogeneous brain morphometry deviations linked to violence and psychosis. They noted that the findings may aid understanding and have clinical relevance but require replication. 

Source: nature.com/articles/s41398-025-03343-1