Quantitative electroencephalographic measures in homicidal men with antisocial personality disorder

Many symptoms of antisocial personality disorder have been proposed to be related to decreased daytime vigilance. To explore this hypothesis, quantitative analyses were conducted of the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity of drug-free and detoxified homicidal male offenders with antisocial person...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry research 2005-07, Vol.136 (1), p.7-15
Main Authors: Lindberg, Nina, Tani, Pekka, Virkkunen, Matti, Porkka-Heiskanen, Tarja, Appelberg, Björn, Naukkarinen, Hannu, Salmi, Tapani
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Aggression
Aggression - psychology
Alpha Rhythm
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder - diagnosis
Antisocial Personality Disorder - physiopathology
Arousal - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Body Mass Index
Delta Rhythm
Electroencephalography
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Forensic Psychiatry - methods
Functional Laterality - physiology
Homicide
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Occipital Lobe - physiopathology
Personality disorders
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Quantitative EEG
Severity of Illness Index
Social behavior disorders. Criminal behavior. Delinquency
Theta Rhythm
Vigilance
Wakefulness
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Summary:Many symptoms of antisocial personality disorder have been proposed to be related to decreased daytime vigilance. To explore this hypothesis, quantitative analyses were conducted of the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity of drug-free and detoxified homicidal male offenders with antisocial personality disorder as the primary diagnosis. Subjects comprised 16 men recruited from a forensic psychiatric examination in a special ward of a university psychiatric hospital. Fifteen healthy age- and gender-matched controls with no criminal record or history of physical violence consisted of hospital staff and students. An overall reduction of alpha power was observed in the waking EEG of offenders. A bilateral increase in occipital delta and theta power was also found in these individuals. This study provides further support to the growing evidence of brain dysfunction in severe aggressive behavior. Homicidal offenders with antisocial personality disorder seem to have difficulties in maintaining normal daytime arousal. Decreased vigilance, together with social and psychological variables, may explain their aberrant behavior in everyday life. New studies are, however, needed to specify the vigilance problems of this patient group.
ISSN:0165-1781
1872-7123
DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2005.05.005