In popular culture, psychopaths are viewed as those who are inherently disposed to habitual aggression; violence; and the violation of normative values for positive, nurturing interactions with others. Psychopathy, also called Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), has yet to be generally accepted as a condition amenable to successful treatment, which has raised the issue of its being a symptom of a neurological deficit in the brain. This paper reviews studies that have focused on abnormalities found in the brains of persons with APD compared with those without APD symptoms. Research on genetic characteristics of persons with APD is also examined. A related discussion considers environment/gene interaction, with attention to the impact of maltreatment on children with a genetic abnormality of the Monoamine Oxidase A (MAO-A) that has been linked to antisocial behavior. Given the complexity and uncertainty of the factors underlying APD, it is difficult to development a treatment program, either pharmacological or clinical. Another problem in treating persons with APD is that their limited conscience and capacity for empathy renders them unlikely to be bothered by their behaviors to the point of being motivated to seek help in changing their behaviors and attitudes. This suggests that mandatory, forced inpatient treatment may be required; however, in order to justify such an approach, more research is needed in order to identify factors in this disorder and how they can be successfully addressed in treatment. 18 references