EMPATHY AS A NEUROBIOLOGICAL DIVIDER: TOWARD A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS BETWEEN PSYCHOPATHY AND ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER

Authors

  • Mariana Beatriz López Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud y del Comportamiento (CIICSAC), Universidad Adventista del Plata (UAP) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Entre Ríos, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6061-7710

Abstract

The diagnosis and treatment of disorders characterized by antisocial behavior and lack of empathy are still under development. Despite efforts to clarify the conceptual field, the overlap between the categories of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) persists, and treatments remain largely ineffective. To improve differential diagnosis and therapeutic effectiveness, it has been proposed to integrate the behavioral approach of diagnostic manuals with other levels of analysis, such as the neurobiological. This work reviews current knowledge on the neurobiological bases of antisocial behavior, focusing on empathic deficits as a key factor for differentiating psychopathy and ASPD. It includes a historical overview of the parallel development of both categories and the associated neurobiological evidence. Finally, it discusses the diagnostic relevance of distinguishing between the two conditions and proposes an organizing model based on neurobiological profiles. Psychopathy could be characterized by an “emotional deficit” associated with hypo-reactivity to stress, while antisocial behavior in ASPD may result from that same profile or from a hyper-reactive one, not necessarily involving deficits in the biological foundations of empathy.

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Published

31.12.2025

How to Cite

López, M. B. (2025). EMPATHY AS A NEUROBIOLOGICAL DIVIDER: TOWARD A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS BETWEEN PSYCHOPATHY AND ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER. Panamerican Journal of Neuropsychology, 19(3), 132–150. Retrieved from https://www.cnps.cl/index.php/cnps/article/view/605

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 3 (2025): CNPs

Section

Original Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mariana Beatriz López

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