Psychopaths are the stuff of suspense movies. Painted as cold and calculating, they can dispatch people without any trace of remorse. But that depiction in the movies may not be purely fictitious as research finds evidence inside the brains of psychopaths.

According to a new study done by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, images of brain scans of some psychopaths explain their callous and impulsive anti-social behavior.

Michael Koenigs, assistant professor of psychiatry in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health pointed out that this is the first study to show the structural and functional differences in the brains of people diagnosed with psychopathy.

In their study, the researchers went to a medium-security prison in Wisconsin and compared the brains of 20 prisoners with a diagnosis of psychopathy with the brains of 20 other prisoners who committed the same crime but were not diagnosed with psychopathy.

And based on the brain scans, the researchers found that the psychopaths have reduced connections between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which the part of the brain responsible for sentiments such as empathy and guilt, and the amygdale, part of the brain which mediates fear and anxiety.

Having seen this reduced connection between the two parts of the brain, Koenigs said that thos two structures in the brain, which are believed to regulate emotion and social behavior, seem to not be communicating as they should.

Joseph Newman, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted that this research provides compelling evidence that the dysfunction observed is a stable characteristic of psychopath offenders.

Aside from their brains lacking communication, OregonCounseling.org reported some of the most highly researched and recognized characteristics of psychopathic people. Some of the characteristics are:

- Superficial charm

- Prone to boredom

- Manipulative

- Shallow emotional response

- Promiscuous sexual behavior

- Irresponsibility

- Impulsivity

- Poor behavioral controls

- Not taking responsibility for their actions

- Lack of realistic long term goals

In addition to these characteristics, research has shown that psychopaths may be so because of genetic influence which creates their personality, and that their brains may function and process information differently from those who are non-psychopaths.