Patients with comorbid ADHD show increased activity in the amygdala and this has been confirmed in multiple studies when using sadism scores. For example, patients with ODD and ADHD display happiness when seeing pain being inflicted on others. Additionally, enhanced activation is also seen when observing experimental and control groups responses of negative pictures. 


Arizona State University

Amygdala functioning 


Matthys, Vanderschuren, L. J. M. J., & Schutter, D. J. L. G. (2013). The neurobiology of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder: Altered functioning in three mental domains. Development and Psychopathology, 25(1), 193–207. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579412000272

The neurobiology of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder: Altered functioning in three mental domains

The amygdala, part of the limbic system, is responsible for the information processing of fearful stimuli and mentally associating behavior with punishment. Because individuals with ODD have deficits in conditioning, it is thought that impaired functioning of the amygdala is correlated with deficits in processing of fearful stimuli. Studies have found reductions in gray matter in a variety of brain regions when comparing ODD patients to control groups. Additionally, fMRI studies reveal similar results which confirm an association exists between amygdala functioning and disruptive behavior disorders. 



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