Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

I think because it is the first paper to demonstrate that antisocial, criminal individuals have a structural brain deficit. The most popular perspective on crime is that antisocial behavior is caused by social and societal factors. This study provides clear evidence that biological (brain) deficits are also implicated in antisocial, criminal behavior.

  Does it describe a new discovery or new methodology that's useful to others?

It was discovered that there is an 11% reduction in the volume of gray matter in the prefrontal cortices of individuals with antisocial personality disorder, and that these brain deficits are independent of social risk factors from crime. A new methodology was the use of temporary employment agencies to recruit individuals with raised rates of crime and violence in the community.

  Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

The significance of the findings is that they implicate brain deficits in the etiology of antisocial personality. The prefrontal cortex is involved in controlling and regulating behavior and emotions, and in good decision-making. Neurological research has shown that when there is structural damage to the prefrontal cortex, antisocial, poorly regulated, sociopathic-like behavior can result. Our findings show that these same brain deficits are found in antisocial individuals in the community, and they are independent of other social risk factors for crime. While the paper does not demonstrate that damage to the prefrontal cortex causes antisocial behavior, taken together with other neurological and neuropsychological studies, it gives added weight to the hypothesis that brain deficits are implicated in the cause of antisocial behavior.