Abnormal Proteins Associated With Aggressive Behavior Among People With Dementia

A study published in JAMA Network Open found linkage between certain proteins and a tendency to commit criminal acts among persons with dementia, reports the Business Standard . "We observed that the likelihood of committing criminal acts was nine times higher among those with frontotemporal dementia who had accumulations in the brain of certain abnormal proteins, above all TDP-43, compared with those who had accumulations of tau protein," says researcher Madeleine Liljegren. "The TDP-43 proteins seem therefore to be particularly associated with developing criminal behavior among people with frontotemporal dementia." Liljegren concludes that the study verifies previous studies' findings. "With these subjects," she states, "the damage is in the frontal part of the brain where our personality, including impulse control and empathy, resides."