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Sergiou CS, Tatti E, Romanella SM, Santarnecchi E, Weidema AD, Rassin EG, Franken IH, van Dongen JD. The effect of HD-tDCS on brain oscillations and frontal synchronicity during resting-state EEG in violent offenders with a substance dependence. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100374. [PMID: 36875007 PMCID: PMC9982047 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Violence is a major problem in our society and therefore research into the neural underpinnings of aggression has grown exponentially. Although in the past decade the biological underpinnings of aggressive behavior have been examined, research on neural oscillations in violent offenders during resting-state electroencephalography (rsEEG) remains scarce. In this study we aimed to investigate the effect of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) on frontal theta, alpha and beta frequency power, asymmetrical frontal activity, and frontal synchronicity in violent offenders. Fifty male violent forensic patients diagnosed with a substance dependence were included in a double-blind sham-controlled randomized study. The patients received 20 minutes of HD-tDCS two times a day on five consecutive days. Before and after the intervention, the patients underwent a rsEEG task. Results showed no effect of HD-tDCS on the power in the different frequency bands. Also, no increase in asymmetrical activity was found. However, we found increased synchronicity in frontal regions in the alpha and beta frequency bands indicating enhanced connectivity in frontal brain regions as a result of the HD-tDCS-intervention. This study has enhanced our understanding of the neural underpinnings of aggression and violence, pointing to the importance of alpha and beta frequency bands and their connectivity in frontal brain regions. Although future studies should further investigate the complex neural underpinnings of aggression in different populations and using whole-brain connectivity, it can be suggested with caution, that HD-tDCS could be an innovative method to regain frontal synchronicity in neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen S. Sergiou
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elisa Tatti
- City College of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara M. Romanella
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alix D. Weidema
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric G.C Rassin
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ingmar H.A. Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Josanne D.M. van Dongen
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Katz L, Harvey C, Baker IS, Howard C. The Dark Side of Humanity Scale: A reconstruction of the Dark Tetrad constructs. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 222:103461. [PMID: 34902686 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been an absence of consideration regarding measurement invariance across males and females in the widely available Dark Tetrad (DT) scales which measure psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism and everyday sadism. This has resulted in criticisms of the measures, suggesting that the assessed constructs are not wholly relatable between the groups. This article documents the construction and validation of the Dark Side of Humanity Scale (DSHS), which measures dark personalities from an alternative viewpoint, determined by the constructs as they emerged from the male and female data, whilst aligning with theory and attaining invariance between sex. Across four samples (n = 2409), using a diverse range of statistical methods, including exploratory graph analysis, item response theory and confirmatory factor analysis, a divergence from the widely available DT measures emerged, whereby primary psychopathy and Machiavellianism were unified. This corroborated past research which had discussed the two constructs as being parallel. It further supported the DSHS with a shift away from the traditional DT conceptualisation. The resulting scale encompasses four factors which are sex invariant across samples and time. The first factor represents the successful psychopath, factor two addresses the grandiose form of entitlement, factor three taps into everyday sadism whilst the fourth factor pertains to narcissistic entitlement rage. Construct and external validity of the DSHS across two samples (n = 1338), as well as test-retest reliability (n = 413), was achieved. The DSHS provides an alternative approach to investigating the dark side of human nature, whilst also being sex invariant, thus making it highly suitable for use with mixed sex samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Katz
- Arden University, Arden House, Middlemarch Park, Coventry CV3 4FJ, United Kingdom.
| | - Caroline Harvey
- University of Derby, Kedleston Rd, Derby DE22 1GB, United Kingdom.
| | - Ian S Baker
- University of Derby, Kedleston Rd, Derby DE22 1GB, United Kingdom.
| | - Chris Howard
- University of Derby, Kedleston Rd, Derby DE22 1GB, United Kingdom.
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Sergiou CS, Santarnecchi E, Romanella SM, Wieser MJ, Franken IHA, Rassin EGC, van Dongen JDM. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Reduces Reactive Aggression and Modulates Electrophysiological Responses in a Forensic Population. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:95-107. [PMID: 34087482 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that impairments in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex play a crucial role in violent behavior in forensic patients who also abuse cocaine and alcohol. Moreover, interventions that aimed to reduce violence risk in those patients are found not to be optimal. A promising intervention might be to modulate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex by high-definition (HD) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The current study aimed to examine HD-tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic substance dependent offenders. In addition, using electroencephalography, we examined the effects on the P3 and the late positive potential of the event-related potentials in reaction to situations that depict victims of aggression. METHODS Fifty male forensic patients with a substance dependence were tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study. The patients received HD-tDCS 2 times a day for 20 minutes for 5 consecutive days. Before and after the intervention, the patients completed self-reports and performed the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, and electroencephalography was recorded while patients performed an empathy task. RESULTS Results showed a decrease in aggressive responses on the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm and in self-reported reactive aggression in the active tDCS group. Additionally, we found a general increase in late positive potential amplitude after active tDCS. No effects on trait empathy and the P3 were found. CONCLUSIONS Current findings are the first to find positive effects of HD-tDCS in reducing aggression and modulating electrophysiological responses in forensic patients, showing the potential of using tDCS as an intervention to reduce aggression in forensic mental health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen S Sergiou
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sara M Romanella
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthias J Wieser
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric G C Rassin
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Josanne D M van Dongen
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Carroll GA, Montrose VT, Burke T. Correlates of Social Cognition and Psychopathic Traits in a Community-Based Sample of Males. Front Psychol 2021; 12:656299. [PMID: 33995215 PMCID: PMC8120153 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.656299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social cognition is the ability to identify, understand, and interpret mental states and emotions. Psychopathic traits are typically described in two ways; Primary: shallow affect, emotional detachment, and relationship difficulties, and Secondary Psychopathic Traits: antisocial traits, impulsiveness, and emotional dysregulation. People with high psychopathic traits tend to perform lower on measures of social cognition. This study investigated the relationship of social cognition (mentalising) to primary and secondary psychopathic traits in a non-clinical sample, and investigated the psychometric properties of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) Short Forms (A and B). A community-based male sample (N = 1,000; age range 18-78) was recruited through an online platform. Psychopathic traits were measured using Levenson, Kiehl, and Fitzpatrick's Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, and stratified into Primary and Secondary Psychopathic traits. Secondary validation of the RMET Short Forms was completed investigating scale reliability, and validity. Findings suggest excellent psychometrics in a large community cohort for the RMET Short Forms (A and B), with significant negative correlations on social cognitive performance and high self-report psychopathy. The item valence within the social cognitive measure (positive, negative, and neutral affect stimuli) was also examined, and correlated significantly with both Primary and Secondary Psychopathic traits. This study provides further validation of the RMET Short Forms (A and B), and adds to the literature on the scale by investigating performance on short-form specific valence. This study further suggests that in a non-clinical community sample of males, that higher psychopathic traits correlated significantly, and negatively, with social cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A Carroll
- School of Psychology, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tom Burke
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Sergiou CS, Woods AJ, Franken IHA, van Dongen JDM. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an intervention to improve empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic offenders: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2020; 21:263. [PMID: 32169111 PMCID: PMC7069186 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-4074-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies show that changes in one of the brain areas related to empathic abilities (i.e. the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)) plays an important role in violent behavior in abusers of alcohol and cocaine. According to the models of James Blair, empathy is a potential inhibitor of violent behavior. Individuals with less empathic abilities may be less susceptible and motivated to inhibit violent behavior, which causes a higher risk of violence. Recent neuroscientific research shows that modulating (stimulation or inhibition) certain brain areas could be a promising new intervention for substance abuse and to reduce violent behavior, such as the neurostimulation technique transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This study aims to investigate tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic substance use offenders. METHODS/DESIGN A total sample of 50 male forensic substance abuse patients (25 active and 25 sham stimulation) will be tested in a double-blind placebo-controlled study, from which half of the patients will receive an active stimulation plus treatment as usual (TAU) and the other half will receive sham stimulation (placebo) plus TAU. The patients in the active condition will receive multichannel tDCS targeting the bilateral vmPFC two times a day for 20 min for five consecutive days. Before and after the stimulation period, the patients will complete self-report measurements, perform the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) and a passive viewing empathy task. Resting state electroencephalography (rsEEG) will be performed before and after the treatment period. A follow up will be conducted after 6 months. The primary outcome is to investigate multichannel tDCS as a new intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in offenders with substance abuse problems. In addition, we will determine whether electrophysiological responses in the brain are affected by the tDCS intervention. Finally, the effects of tDCS on reducing craving will be investigated. DISCUSSION This study is one of the first studies using multichannel tDCS targeting the vmPFC in a forensic sample. This study will explore the opportunities to introduce a new intervention to improve empathic abilities and reduce violence in forensic substance use offenders. Specifically, this study may give insight into how to implement the tDCS intervention in the setting of daily clinical practice in this complex, multiple-problem target group and with that contribute to reduction of recidivism. TRIAL REGISTRATION Dutch Trial Register, NTR7701. Registered on 12 January 2019. Prospectively registered before the recruitment phase. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7459. Recruitment started on the 1st of February 2019 and will be finished approximately in the winter of 2019. Protocol version 1. 22 May 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen S Sergiou
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Adam J Woods
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Josanne D M van Dongen
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Jones DN, Neria AL. Incentive salience & psychopathy: A bio-behavioral exploration. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Blair R, Veroude K, Buitelaar J. Neuro-cognitive system dysfunction and symptom sets: A review of fMRI studies in youth with conduct problems. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 91:69-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Delfin C, Andiné P, Hofvander B, Billstedt E, Wallinius M. Examining Associations Between Psychopathic Traits and Executive Functions in Incarcerated Violent Offenders. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:310. [PMID: 30050476 PMCID: PMC6050384 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) are essential in almost all aspects of daily life and have been robustly related to antisocial behavior. However, the relationship between psychopathy and EFs has remained equivocal. Research investigating lower-level trait dimensions of psychopathy using standardized EF measures could be beneficial in addressing this issue. In this study, we examined associations between four EFs and four dimensions of psychopathic traits (interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, antisocial) using zero-order correlation and a combination of classical and Bayesian statistical methods. Two hundred and fourteen incarcerated male violent offenders were assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and completed tests of cognitive flexibility, spatial working memory, response inhibition, and planning and problem-solving using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Lifestyle psychopathic traits were significantly associated with reduced initial thinking time in a planning and problem-solving task, with a Bayes factor indicating substantial evidence for the observed correlation, and antisocial psychopathic traits showed a significant association with reduced initial thinking time in the same task, although the Bayes factor indicated only anecdotal evidence. Significant associations were also found between affective and antisocial psychopathic traits and less efficient strategic thinking in a spatial working memory task, and between affective, lifestyle and antisocial psychopathic traits and fewer problems solved in a planning and problem-solving task, although these findings were not corroborated by the Bayesian analysis. While the observed effects ranged between small and medium, our study suggests that reduced initial thinking times in planning and problem-solving is robustly associated with higher degrees of lifestyle and antisocial psychopathic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Delfin
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Research and Development Unit, Regional Forensic Psychiatric Clinic, Växjö, Sweden
| | - Peter Andiné
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Forensic Psychiatric Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Björn Hofvander
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Eva Billstedt
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Märta Wallinius
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Research and Development Unit, Regional Forensic Psychiatric Clinic, Växjö, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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9
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Thijssen S, Kiehl KA. Functional connectivity in incarcerated male adolescents with psychopathic traits. Psychiatry Res 2017; 265:35-44. [PMID: 28521281 PMCID: PMC5526360 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The present study examined the association between psychopathic traits and functional connectivity in 177 incarcerated male adolescents. We hypothesized that psychopathic symptoms would be associated with functional connectivity within networks encompassing limbic and paralimbic regions, such as the default mode (DMN), salience networks (SN), and executive control network (ECN). The present sample was drawn from the Southwest Advanced Neuroimaging Cohort, Youth sample, and from research at a youth detention facility in Wisconsin. All participants were scanned at maximum-security facilities. Psychopathic traits were assessed using Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version. Resting-state networks were computed using group Independent Component Analysis. Associations between psychopathic traits and resting-state connectivity were assessed using Mancova analyses. PCL-YV Total score and Factor 1 score (interpersonal and affective traits) were associated with the power spectra of the DMN. Factor 1 score was associated with SN and ECN spatial maps. Factor 2 score (lifestyle and antisocial traits) was associated with spatial map of the ECN. Only the Factor 1 association with DMN power spectrum survived correction for multiple testing. Comparable to adult psychopathy, adolescent psychopathic traits were associated with networks implicated in self-referential thought, moral behavior, cognition, and saliency detection: functions previously reported to be disrupted in adult psychopaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Thijssen
- School of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Center for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Law, University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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10
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Tye C, Bedford R, Asherson P, Ashwood KL, Azadi B, Bolton P, McLoughlin G. Callous-unemotional traits moderate executive function in children with ASD and ADHD: A pilot event-related potential study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 26:84-90. [PMID: 28654838 PMCID: PMC5569583 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with ASD and ADHD show varied and heterogeneous executive function (EF) profiles. Typical or enhanced EF has been demonstrated in individuals with callous-unemotional (CU) traits. We investigated the effect of CU traits on event-related potential (ERP) responses during a cued continuous performance test (CPT-OX) in children with ASD, ADHD and co-occurring ASD + ADHD. Children with ASD and high CU traits showed better conflict monitoring compared to children with ASD and low CU traits. Increased CU traits may be associated with cognitive strengths in children with ASD.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are associated with varied executive function (EF) difficulties. Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a proposed antecedent of adult psychopathy, are often associated with intact or enhanced EF. Here we test whether CU traits may therefore modulate EF in ASD and ADHD, in which EF is typically impaired. We collected CU traits and measured event-related potentials (ERPs) that index EF during a cued-continuous performance test (CPT-OX) in boys with ASD, ADHD, comorbid ASD + ADHD and typical controls. We examined attentional orienting at cues (Cue-P3), inhibitory processing at non-targets (NoGo-P3) and conflict monitoring between target and non-target trials (Go-N2 vs. NoGo-N2). In children with ASD, higher CU traits were associated with an enhanced increase in N2 amplitude in NoGo trials compared to Go trials, which suggests relatively superior conflict monitoring and a potential cognitive strength associated with CU traits. The results emphasise the importance of considering the effects of co-occurring traits in the assessment of heterogeneity of EF profiles in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Tye
- King's College London, MRC SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom; King's College London, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom.
| | - R Bedford
- King's College London, Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom
| | - P Asherson
- King's College London, MRC SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom
| | - K L Ashwood
- King's College London, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom
| | - B Azadi
- King's College London, MRC SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom
| | - P Bolton
- King's College London, MRC SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom; King's College London, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom
| | - G McLoughlin
- King's College London, MRC SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, United Kingdom
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11
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Calzada-Reyes A, Alvarez-Amador A, Galán-García L, Valdés-Sosa M. QEEG and LORETA in Teenagers With Conduct Disorder and Psychopathic Traits. Clin EEG Neurosci 2017; 48:189-199. [PMID: 27272168 DOI: 10.1177/1550059416645712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated the impact of the psychopathic traits on the EEG of teenagers with conduct disorder (CD). To date, there is no other research studying low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) technique using quantitative EEG (QEEG) analysis in adolescents with CD and psychopathic traits. OBJECTIVE To find electrophysiological differences specifically related to the psychopathic traits. The current investigation compares the QEEG and the current source density measures between adolescents with CD and psychopathic traits and adolescents with CD without psychopathic traits. METHODS The resting EEG activity and LORETA for the EEG fast spectral bands were evaluated in 42 teenagers with CD, 25 with and 17 without psychopathic traits according to the Antisocial Process Screening Device. All adolescents were assessed using the DSM-IV-TR criteria. The EEG visual inspection characteristics and the use of frequency domain quantitative analysis techniques (narrow band spectral parameters) are described. RESULTS QEEG analysis showed a pattern of beta activity excess on the bilateral frontal-temporal regions and decreases of alpha band power on the left central-temporal and right frontal-central-temporal regions in the psychopathic traits group. Current source density calculated at 17.18 Hz showed an increase within fronto-temporo-striatal regions in the psychopathic relative to the nonpsychopathic traits group. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that QEEG analysis and techniques of source localization may reveal differences in brain electrical activity among teenagers with CD and psychopathic traits, which was not obvious to visual inspection. Taken together, these results suggest that abnormalities in a fronto-temporo-striatal network play a relevant role in the neurobiological basis of psychopathic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Calzada-Reyes
- 1 Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Legal Medicine, Havana City, Cuba
| | - Alfredo Alvarez-Amador
- 2 Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Cuban Center for Neurosciences, Havana City, Cuba
| | - Lídice Galán-García
- 3 Department of Neurostatistic, Cuban Center for Neurosciences, Havana City, Cuba
| | - Mitchell Valdés-Sosa
- 4 Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Cuban Center for Neurosciences, Havana City, Cuba
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Korponay C, Pujara M, Deming P, Philippi C, Decety J, Kosson DS, Kiehl KA, Koenigs M. Impulsive-antisocial dimension of psychopathy linked to enlargement and abnormal functional connectivity of the striatum. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:149-157. [PMID: 28367514 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychopathy is a mental health disorder characterized by callous and impulsive antisocial behavior, and is associated with a high incidence of violent crime, substance abuse, and recidivism. Recent studies suggest that the striatum may be a key component of the neurobiological basis for the disorder, though structural findings have been mixed and functional connectivity of the striatum in psychopathy has yet to be fully examined. METHODS We performed a multimodal neuroimaging study of striatum volume and functional connectivity in psychopathy, using a large sample of adult male prison inmates (N=124). We conducted volumetric analyses in striatal subnuclei, and subsequently assessed resting-state functional connectivity in areas where volume was related to psychopathy severity. RESULTS Total PCL-R and Factor 2 scores (which index the impulsive/antisocial traits of psychopathy) were associated with larger striatal subnuclei volumes and increased volume in focal areas throughout the striatum, particularly in the nucleus accumbens and putamen bilaterally. Furthermore, at many of the striatal areas where volume was positively associated with Factor 2 scores, psychopathy severity was also associated with abnormal functional connectivity with other brain regions, including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventral midbrain and other areas of the striatum. The results were not attributable to age, race, IQ, substance use history, or intracranial volume. CONCLUSION These findings associate the impulsive/antisocial dimension of psychopathy with enlarged striatal subnuclei and aberrant functional connectivity between the striatum and other brain regions. Furthermore, the co-localization of volumetric and functional connectivity findings suggests that these neural abnormalities may be pathophysiologically linked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole Korponay
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, Wisconsin, 53719, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Maia Pujara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, Wisconsin, 53719, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Philip Deming
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, Wisconsin, 53719, USA
| | - Carissa Philippi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, Wisconsin, 53719, USA; Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1 University Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121, USA
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 South University Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA
| | - David S Kosson
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, Illinois, 60064, USA
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The non-profit MIND Research Network, an affiliate of Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, 1101 Yale C NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA; Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Law, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
| | - Michael Koenigs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, Wisconsin, 53719, USA
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Balia C, Carucci S, Coghill D, Zuddas A. The pharmacological treatment of aggression in children and adolescents with conduct disorder. Do callous-unemotional traits modulate the efficacy of medication? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 91:218-238. [PMID: 28137460 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children and adolescents with conduct disorder (CD) show repetitive and persistent patterns of aggressive behaviour and the more severe forms are often associated with callous-unemotional (CU) traits. OBJECTIVES To systematically review and, where data are adequate, conduct meta-analyses on the efficacy of medication on aggression in children and adolescent with CD considering the impact of CU traits. RESULTS Few studies have investigated patients with CD as primary diagnosis, and few of these have discriminated between different types of aggression or reported measures of CU traits. Methylphenidate and risperidone showed the largest effects on aggression in randomized controlled trials; other antipsychotics showed clinical efficacy on CD but this evidence is mainly revealed by open label trials. There is some low quality evidence to support a small effect of mood stabilizers and other agents. There were only two papers describing the effects of CU traits thus providing inconclusive results. CONCLUSION Considering heterogeneity of the disorder, more proof-of-concept clinical studies are needed to define effects of medication and role of CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Balia
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Cagliari & "A. Cao" Microcitemico Paediatric Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sara Carucci
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Cagliari & "A. Cao" Microcitemico Paediatric Hospital, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - David Coghill
- Division of Neuroscience, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK; Departments of Paediatrics and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alessandro Zuddas
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Cagliari & "A. Cao" Microcitemico Paediatric Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
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15
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Lantrip C, Towns S, Roth RM, Giancola PR. Psychopathy traits are associated with self-report rating of executive functions in the everyday life of healthy adults. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.05.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Krusemark EA, Kiehl KA, Newman JP. Endogenous attention modulates early selective attention in psychopathy: An ERP investigation. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016; 16:779-88. [PMID: 27225501 PMCID: PMC6135064 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-016-0430-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Psychopathic individuals are prone to act on urges without adequate consideration of future consequences or the rights of other individuals. One interpretation of this behavior is that it reflects abnormal selective attention (i.e., a failure to process information that is incongruent with their primary focus of attention; Hiatt, Schmitt, & Newman, Neuropsychology, 18, 50-59, 2004). Unfortunately, it is unclear whether this selective attention abnormality reflects top-down endogenous influences, such as the strength or specificity of attention focus (i.e., top-down set) apart from other, more exogenous (bottom-up), effects on attention. To explore this question, we used an early visual event-related potential (N2pc) in combination with a modified visual search task designed to assess the effect of early endogenous (i.e., top-down) attention on the processing of set-congruent information. The task was administered to a sample of 70 incarcerated adult males, who were assigned to high, intermediate, and low psychopathy groups using Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (Hare, 2003). Based on the assumption that their failure to process set-incongruent information reflects the exaggerated effects of endogenous attention, we predicted that participants with high psychopathy scores would show an exaggerated N2pc response to set-congruent information. The results supported the hypothesis and provide novel electrophysiological evidence that psychopathy is associated with exaggerated endogenous attention effects during early stages of processing. Further research is needed to examine the implications of this finding for the well-established failure of psychopathic individuals to process set-incongruent information and inhibit inappropriate responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Krusemark
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- Mind Research Network, an affiliate of Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- Mind Research Network, an affiliate of Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience and Law, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Joseph P Newman
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Abstract
This article describes a case study in which neuropsychological assessment was carried out on a 30-year-old, previously diagnosed, bipolar female to determine existence of specific deficits in cognitive function. The patient, whose mood cycles were 12 hours to 24 hours, was subsequently evaluated 8 hours per day for 5 consecutive days (a complete work week of neuropsychological assessment). Neuropsychological results showed motor slowing, right hemispheric dysfunctioning, and memory problems during depressive periods and attentional and executive problems during hypomanic and manic periods. The most normal performance was found during euthymic periods. In addition, left and right hemi visual neglect, aphasia, and sensorimotor problems were present across all mood states. Treatment implications are subsequently described.
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18
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Investigating Left- and Right-Nostril Olfactory Abilities with Respect to Psychopathy. CHEMOSENS PERCEPT 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12078-016-9210-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Modulatory effects of psychopathy on Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance in male offenders with Antisocial Personality Disorder. Psychiatry Res 2016; 235:43-8. [PMID: 26708441 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Revised: 10/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychological deficits in executive functions (EF) have been linked to antisocial behavior and considered to be cardinal to the onset and persistence of severe antisocial and aggressive behavior. However, when psychopathy is present, prior evidence suggests that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is unaffected leading to intact EF. Ninety-one male offenders with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and 24 controls completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). ASPD individuals were grouped in three categories according to Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) scores (low, medium and high). We hypothesized that ASPD offenders with high PCL-R scores will not differ from healthy controls in EF and will show better EF performance in comparison with subjects with low PCL-R scores. Results showed that ASPD offenders with low PCL-R scores committed more perseverative errors and responses than controls and offenders with high PCL-R scores, which did not differ from healthy controls. Moreover, scores on Factor 1 and the interpersonal facet of the PCL-R were predictors of better WCST performance. Our results suggest a modulatory role of psychopathy in the cognitive performance of ASPD offenders, and provide further evidence supporting that offenders with ASPD and psychopathy are characterized by a cognitive profile different from those with ASPD without psychopathy.
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Neuropsychological profile in new-onset benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS): Focusing on executive functions. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 54:71-9. [PMID: 26667848 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Revised: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Increased evidence of subnormal neuropsychological functioning in new-onset childhood epilepsy has been obtained, although results are still rare and controversial. With a prospective study, we aimed to define the very early neuropsychological profile of children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), including executive functions (EF) because of their key role in learning. Additionally, we enrolled drug-naïve children, with a NREM sleep frequency of discharges <85% and with a Performance Intelligence Quotient equal or superior to 85, in order to exclude additional effects on the neuropsychological functioning. METHODS Fifteen school-aged children with BECTS (mean age: 8.8years, standard deviation [SD]: 2.4years) and fifteen healthy children (mean age: 9.2years, [SD]: 2.5years) were enrolled and assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. The assessment included domain-specific standardized tests of language, EF, academic skills, visuomotor and visuospatial skills, and short-term memory. A p-value<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Significant differences between patients and controls emerged with respect to 3 domains. Language was affected in color naming (p=.026), spoonerism (p=.003), and phonemic synthesis (p=.009). Executive functions appeared inadequate in the five point test with respect to the number of correct figures (p=.003) and errors (p=.008). In the domain of academic skills, significant differences between groups emerged regarding the number of mistakes in nonword writing (p=.001), nonword reading speed (p=.027), nonword reading number of mistakes (p=.019), and word reading errors (p=.023). DISCUSSION Results showed that children with new-onset BECTS may demonstrate a range of neuropsychological dysfunctions, particularly affecting executive attention, despite a normal IQ, a low frequency of NREM sleep discharges, and the absence of drugs. These difficulties indicate a frontal dysfunction with cascading effects on language and academic skills. The inclusion of EF in the assessment battery and in the intervention since the very onset is warranted in order to avoid further and persistent academic difficulties.
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21
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Contreras-Rodríguez O, Pujol J, Batalla I, Harrison BJ, Soriano-Mas C, Deus J, López-Solà M, Macià D, Pera V, Hernández-Ribas R, Pifarré J, Menchón JM, Cardoner N. Functional Connectivity Bias in the Prefrontal Cortex of Psychopaths. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:647-55. [PMID: 24742618 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychopathy is characterized by a distinctive interpersonal style that combines callous-unemotional traits with inflexible and antisocial behavior. Traditional emotion-based perspectives link emotional impairment mostly to alterations in amygdala-ventromedial frontal circuits. However, these models alone cannot explain why individuals with psychopathy can regularly benefit from emotional information when placed on their focus of attention and why they are more resistant to interference from nonaffective contextual cues. The present study aimed to identify abnormal or distinctive functional links between and within emotional and cognitive brain systems in the psychopathic brain to characterize further the neural bases of psychopathy. METHODS High-resolution anatomic magnetic resonance imaging with a functional sequence acquired in the resting state was used to assess 22 subjects with psychopathy and 22 control subjects. Anatomic and functional connectivity alterations were investigated first using a whole-brain analysis. Brain regions showing overlapping anatomic and functional changes were examined further using seed-based functional connectivity mapping. RESULTS Subjects with psychopathy showed gray matter reduction involving prefrontal cortex, paralimbic, and limbic structures. Anatomic changes overlapped with areas showing increased degree of functional connectivity at the medial-dorsal frontal cortex. Subsequent functional seed-based connectivity mapping revealed a pattern of reduced functional connectivity of prefrontal areas with limbic-paralimbic structures and enhanced connectivity within the dorsal frontal lobe in subjects with psychopathy. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that a weakened link between emotional and cognitive domains in the psychopathic brain may combine with enhanced functional connections within frontal executive areas. The identified functional alterations are discussed in the context of potential contributors to the inflexible behavior displayed by individuals with psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Contreras-Rodríguez
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL (OC-R, CS-M, RH-R, JMM, NC), Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, CIBERSAM at Barcelona; Department of Clinical Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience F. Olóriz (OC-R), University of Granada; MRI Research Unit (OC-R, JPu, BJH, JD, ML-S, DM), CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar at Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesus Pujol
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience F. Olóriz (OC-R), University of Granada; MRI Research Unit (OC-R, JPu, BJH, JD, ML-S, DM), CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar at Barcelona, Spain; Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (JPu), CIBERSAM G21, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Iolanda Batalla
- GSS (IB, VP, JPi), Hospital Santa Maria and Biomedical Research Institute at Lleida
| | - Ben J Harrison
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience F. Olóriz (OC-R), University of Granada; MRI Research Unit (OC-R, JPu, BJH, JD, ML-S, DM), CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar at Barcelona, Spain; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (BJH), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL (OC-R, CS-M, RH-R, JMM, NC), Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, CIBERSAM at Barcelona
| | - Joan Deus
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience F. Olóriz (OC-R), University of Granada; MRI Research Unit (OC-R, JPu, BJH, JD, ML-S, DM), CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar at Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology (JD), Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina López-Solà
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience F. Olóriz (OC-R), University of Granada; MRI Research Unit (OC-R, JPu, BJH, JD, ML-S, DM), CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar at Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience (ML-S), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Dídac Macià
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience F. Olóriz (OC-R), University of Granada; MRI Research Unit (OC-R, JPu, BJH, JD, ML-S, DM), CRC Mar, Hospital del Mar at Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vanessa Pera
- GSS (IB, VP, JPi), Hospital Santa Maria and Biomedical Research Institute at Lleida; Child-Juvenile Mental Health Center of Sant Joan de Déu at Lleida (VP), Lleida, Spain
| | - Rosa Hernández-Ribas
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL (OC-R, CS-M, RH-R, JMM, NC), Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, CIBERSAM at Barcelona
| | - Josep Pifarré
- GSS (IB, VP, JPi), Hospital Santa Maria and Biomedical Research Institute at Lleida
| | - José M Menchón
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL (OC-R, CS-M, RH-R, JMM, NC), Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, CIBERSAM at Barcelona
| | - Narcís Cardoner
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL (OC-R, CS-M, RH-R, JMM, NC), Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, CIBERSAM at Barcelona
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Baskin-Sommers AR, Curtin JJ, Newman JP. Altering the Cognitive-Affective Dysfunctions of Psychopathic and Externalizing Offender Subtypes with Cognitive Remediation. Clin Psychol Sci 2015; 3:45-57. [PMID: 25977843 DOI: 10.1177/2167702614560744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive remediation is a treatment approach with the potential to translate basic science into more specific, mechanism-based interventions by targeting particular cognitive skills. The present study translated understanding of two well-defined cognitive-emotion dysfunctions into novel deficit-matched interventions and evaluated whether cognitive remediation would demonstrate specific and generalizable change. Two antisocial-subtypes, individuals with psychopathy and externalizing traits, are characterized by cognitive-affective problems that predispose them to engage in significant substance abuse and criminal behavior, culminating in incarceration. Whereas individuals with psychopathy fail to consider important contextual information, individuals with externalizing traits lack the capacity to regulate affective reactions. Training designed to remedy these subtype-specific deficits led to improvement on both trained and non-trained tasks. Such findings offer promise for changing neural and behavioral patterns, even for what many consider to be the most recalcitrant treatment population, and presage a new era of translating cognitive-affective science into increasingly specific and effective interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John J Curtin
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Psychology Department
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Effect of MAOA promoter polymorphism and neuropsychological performance on psychopathy traits. REVISTA MÉDICA DEL HOSPITAL GENERAL DE MÉXICO 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hgmx.2015.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Bagshaw R, Gray NS, Snowden RJ. Executive function in psychopathy: the Tower of London, Brixton Spatial Anticipation and the Hayling Sentence Completion Tests. Psychiatry Res 2014; 220:483-9. [PMID: 25110313 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Executive dysfunction in those high on traits of psychopathy has often been reported, with many disagreements as to the nature of the dysfunction. We aimed to see if tests of planning and rule acquisition/adherence would discriminate those high on psychopathic traits. A battery of executive function tests (Tower of London, Brixton Spatial Anticipation, and Hayling Sentence Completion Tasks) was given to 28 British male prisoners. Psychopathy was measured using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. High psychopathy was related to reduced planning in the Tower of London Test and poor rule-adherence on the Brixton Test. Other tests of executive function were not related to psychopathy. The results appear supportive of the notion that function of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is dysfunctional in psychopathy whilst that of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is normal and suggest that impulsivity in those high on psychopathy traits impedes planning and rule following. We suggest the adapted Tower of London Test and the Brixton Test could be useful objective measures of this type of impulsivity in offenders which could help identify key treatment goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Bagshaw
- Caswell Clinic, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust, Bridgend CF31 4LN, UK
| | - Nicola S Gray
- Ty Catrin, Pastoral Healthcare, Cardiff and School of Medicine, Swansea University, UK
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Intact alternation performance in high lethality suicide attempters. Psychiatry Res 2014; 219:129-36. [PMID: 24878299 PMCID: PMC4410782 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.04.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Suicide attempters often perform poorly on tasks linked to ventral prefrontal cortical (VPFC) function. Object Alternation (OA) - a VPFC probe - has not been used in these studies. In this study, currently depressed medication-free past suicide attempters whose most severe attempt was of high (n=31) vs. low (n=64) lethality, 114 medication-free depressed non-attempters, and 86 non-patients completed a computerized OA task. Participants also completed comparison tasks assessing the discriminant validity of OA (Wisconsin Card Sort), its concurrent validity relative to tasks associated with past attempt status (computerized Stroop task, Buschke Selective Reminding Test), and its construct validity as a VPFC measure (Go-No Go and Iowa Gambling Task). Against expectations, high lethality suicide attempters - the majority of whom used non-violent methods in their attempts with some planning - outperformed other depressed groups on OA, with no group differences observed on Wisconsin Card Sort. Despite intact performance on OA, past attempters exhibited deficits on the Stroop and Buschke. OA performance was associated with performance on Go-No Go and Iowa Gambling, confirming that OA measures a similar construct. VPFC dysfunction may not be a characteristic of all suicide attempters, especially those who make more carefully planned, non-violent - though potentially lethal - attempts.
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26
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Vilà-Balló A, Hdez-Lafuente P, Rostan C, Cunillera T, Rodriguez-Fornells A. Neurophysiological correlates of error monitoring and inhibitory processing in juvenile violent offenders. Biol Psychol 2014; 102:141-52. [PMID: 25108171 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Performance monitoring is crucial for well-adapted behavior. Offenders typically have a pervasive repetition of harmful-impulsive behaviors, despite an awareness of the negative consequences of their actions. However, the link between performance monitoring and aggressive behavior in juvenile offenders has not been closely investigated. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were used to investigate performance monitoring in juvenile non-psychopathic violent offenders compared with a well-matched control group. Two ERP components associated with error monitoring, error-related negativity (ERN) and error-positivity (Pe), and two components related to inhibitory processing, the stop-N2 and stop-P3 components, were evaluated using a combined flanker-stop-signal task. The results showed that the amplitudes of the ERN, the stop-N2, the stop-P3, and the standard P3 components were clearly reduced in the offenders group. Remarkably, no differences were observed for the Pe. At the behavioral level, slower stop-signal reaction times were identified for offenders, which indicated diminished inhibitory processing. The present results suggest that the monitoring of one's own behavior is affected in juvenile violent offenders. Specifically, we determined that different aspects of executive function were affected in the studied offenders, including error processing (reduced ERN) and response inhibition (reduced N2 and P3). However, error awareness and compensatory post-error adjustment processes (error correction) were unaffected. The current pattern of results highlights the role of performance monitoring in the acquisition and maintenance of externalizing harmful behavior that is frequently observed in juvenile offenders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrià Vilà-Balló
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group [Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-] IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08097, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | - Prado Hdez-Lafuente
- Juvenile Justice and Educative Center of Girona, Girona 17003, Spain; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Girona, Girona 17071, Spain
| | - Carles Rostan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Girona, Girona 17071, Spain
| | - Toni Cunillera
- Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | - Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group [Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-] IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08097, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, ICREA, Barcelona 08010, Spain.
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27
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Robinson MD, Bresin K. Higher Levels of Psychopathy Predict Poorer Motor Control: Implications for Understanding the Psychopathy Construct. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2014; 36:201-210. [PMID: 25419045 PMCID: PMC4238072 DOI: 10.1007/s10862-013-9388-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
A review of the literature suggests that higher levels of psychopathy may be linked to less effective behavioral control. However, several commentators have urged caution in making statements of this type in the absence of direct evidence. In two studies (total N = 142), moment-to-moment accuracy in a motor control task was examined as a function of dimensional variations in psychopathy in an undergraduate population. As hypothesized, motor control was distinctively worse at higher levels of psychopathy relative to lower levels, both as a function of primary and secondary psychopathy and particularly their shared variance. These novel findings provide support for the idea that motor control systematically varies by psychopathy, in a basic manner, consistent with views of psychopathy emphasizing lesser control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Robinson
- Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108
| | - Konrad Bresin
- Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108
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Schiffer B, Pawliczek C, Mu Ller B, Forsting M, Gizewski E, Leygraf N, Hodgins S. Neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control of men with lifelong antisocial behavior. Psychiatry Res 2014; 222:43-51. [PMID: 24530294 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Results of meta-analyses suggested subtle deficits in cognitive control among antisocial individuals. Because almost all studies focused on children with conduct problems or adult psychopaths, however, little is known about cognitive control mechanisms among the majority of persistent violent offenders who present an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The present study aimed to determine whether offenders with ASPD, relative to non-offenders, display dysfunction in the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control and to assess the extent to which these dysfunctions are associated with psychopathic traits and trait impulsivity. Participants comprised 21 violent offenders and 23 non-offenders who underwent event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a non-verbal Stroop task. The offenders, relative to the non-offenders, exhibited reduced response time interference and a different pattern of conflict- and error-related activity in brain areas involved in cognitive control, attention, language, and emotion processing, that is, the anterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal, superior temporal and postcentral cortices, putamen, thalamus, and amygdala. Moreover, between-group differences in behavioural and neural responses revealed associations with core features of psychopathy and attentional impulsivity. Thus, the results of the present study confirmed the hypothesis that offenders with ASPD display alterations in the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control and that those alterations relate, at least in part, to personality characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany; Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
| | - Christina Pawliczek
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Mu Ller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Michael Forsting
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University, Hospital Essen, Germany
| | - Elke Gizewski
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University, Hospital Essen, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Norbert Leygraf
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Sheilagh Hodgins
- Département de Psychiatrie, Université de Montréal, Canada; Institute of Psychiatry, King´s College London, United Kingdom
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Reduced frontal activity during response inhibition in individuals with psychopathic traits: An sLORETA study. Biol Psychol 2014; 97:49-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Hodgins S, Piatosa MJ, Schiffer B. Violence among people with schizophrenia: phenotypes and neurobiology. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 17:329-68. [PMID: 24318935 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2013_259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
People with schizophrenia are at increased risk, as compared to the general population, to acquire convictions for violent crimes and homicide. They also show elevated levels of aggressive behaviour. While psychotic symptoms explain aggressive behaviour that is common during acute episodes, they do not explain such behaviour at other stages of illness or prior to illness onset. Three distinct phenotypes have been identified: individuals with a childhood onset of conduct disorder who display antisocial and aggressive behaviour both before and after schizophrenia onset; individuals with no history of conduct problems who begin engaging in aggressive behaviour as illness onsets; and individuals who after many years of illness engage in a severe physical assault. Little is known about the aetiology of the three types of offenders and about the neural mechanisms that initiate and maintain these behaviours. We hypothesize that schizophrenia preceded by conduct disorder is associated with a combination of genes conferring vulnerability for both disorders and altering the effects of environmental factors on the brain, and thereby, with a distinct pattern of neural development. Some evidence is available to support this hypothesis. By contrast, offending among adults with schizophrenia who have no history of such behaviour prior to illness may result from the changes in the brain that occur as illness onsets, and that are further altered by comorbid conditions such as substance misuse, or by the progressive changes in the brain through adulthood that may result from the illness and from the use of antipsychotic medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheilagh Hodgins
- Département de Psychiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada,
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31
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Emotion recognition in girls with conduct problems. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 23:13-22. [PMID: 23568422 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-013-0416-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A deficit in emotion recognition has been suggested to underlie conduct problems. Although several studies have been conducted on this topic so far, most concentrated on male participants. The aim of the current study was to compare recognition of morphed emotional faces in girls with conduct problems (CP) with elevated or low callous-unemotional (CU+ vs. CU-) traits and a matched healthy developing control group (CG). Sixteen girls with CP-CU+, 16 girls with CP-CU- and 32 controls (mean age: 13.23 years, SD=2.33 years) were included. Video clips with morphed faces were presented in two runs to assess emotion recognition. Multivariate analysis of variance with the factors group and run was performed. Girls with CP-CU- needed more time than the CG to encode sad, fearful, and happy faces and they correctly identified sadness less often. Girls with CP-CU+ outperformed the other groups in the identification of fear. Learning effects throughout runs were the same for all groups except that girls with CP-CU- correctly identified fear less often in the second run compared to the first run. Results need to be replicated with comparable tasks, which might result in subgroup-specific therapeutic recommendations.
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Maes JHR, Brazil IA. No clear evidence for a positive association between the interpersonal-affective aspects of psychopathy and executive functioning. Psychiatry Res 2013; 210:1265-74. [PMID: 24140251 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Revised: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Common psychopathy rating instruments distinguish between an interpersonal-affective and an antisocial dimension. The suggestion that the interpersonal-affective dimension, often considered to be the core feature of psychopathy, is positively associated with executive functioning is occasionally made in the literature, without reporting objective empirical data. The primary aim of the present paper was to search for empirical studies reporting relevant data, focussing on four aspects of 'cold' executive functioning: inhibition, attentional shifting, working memory, and planning. Eleven published articles were identified, reporting data of 721 individuals from incarcerated and non-incarcerated, male and female, and adult and non-adult samples. Using a heterogeneous set of tests and dependent measures across studies, the inhibition and attentional shifting components were assessed in eight and five studies, respectively; the working memory and planning components each in two studies. A small majority of the studies found positive associations with the different executive functions, although the associations were mostly non-significant. Given the scarcity of studies and the use of heterogeneous populations, tests and statistical analyses, no robust conclusions can be drawn at this stage. Therefore, caution is needed when claiming a positive association between the interpersonal-affective features of psychopathy and executive functioning. Clearly more research is needed to further validate and specify the suggested association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H R Maes
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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The Relationship Between Psychopathy and Olfactory Tasks Sensitive to Orbitofrontal Cortex Function in a Non-criminal Student Sample. CHEMOSENS PERCEPT 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s12078-013-9157-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Snowden RJ, Gray NS, Pugh S, Atkinson G. Executive function as a function of sub-clinical psychopathy. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2013.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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35
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Ramirez JM. Some dychotomous classifications of aggression according to its function. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1386/jots.6.2.85_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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36
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Hyde LW, Shaw DS, Hariri AR. Understanding Youth Antisocial Behavior Using Neuroscience through a Developmental Psychopathology Lens: Review, Integration, and Directions for Research. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2013; 33:10.1016/j.dr.2013.06.001. [PMID: 24273368 PMCID: PMC3834895 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Youth antisocial behavior (AB) is an important public health concern impacting perpetrators, victims, and society. Functional neuroimaging is becoming a more common and useful modality for understanding neural correlates of youth AB. Although there has been a recent increase in neuroimaging studies of youth AB and corresponding theoretical articles on the neurobiology of AB, there has been little work critically examining the strengths and weaknesses of individual studies and using this knowledge to inform the design of future studies. Additionally, research on neuroimaging and youth AB has not been integrated within the broader framework of developmental psychopathology. Thus, this paper provides an in-depth review of the youth AB functional neuroimaging literature with the following goals: 1. to evaluate how this literature has informed our understanding of youth AB, 2. to evaluate current neuroimaging studies of youth AB from a developmental psychopathology perspective with a focus on integrating research from neuroscience and developmental psychopathology, as well as placing this research in the context of other related areas (e.g., psychopathy, molecular genetics), and 3. to examine strengths and weaknesses of neuroimaging and behavioral studies of youth AB to suggest how future studies can develop a more informed and integrated understanding of youth AB.
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Aoki Y, Inokuchi R, Nakao T, Yamasue H. Neural bases of antisocial behavior: a voxel-based meta-analysis. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2013; 9:1223-31. [PMID: 23926170 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with antisocial behavior place a great physical and economic burden on society. Deficits in emotional processing have been recognized as a fundamental cause of antisocial behavior. Emerging evidence also highlights a significant contribution of attention allocation deficits to such behavior. A comprehensive literature search identified 12 studies that were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, which compared 291 individuals with antisocial problems and 247 controls. Signed Differential Mapping revealed that compared with controls, gray matter volume (GMV) in subjects with antisocial behavior was reduced in the right lentiform nucleus (P < 0.0001), left insula (P = 0.0002) and left frontopolar cortex (FPC) (P = 0.0006), and was increased in the right fusiform gyrus (P < 0.0001), right inferior parietal lobule (P = 0.0003), right superior parietal lobule (P = 0.0004), right cingulate gyrus (P = 0.0004) and the right postcentral gyrus (P = 0.0004). Given the well-known contributions of limbic and paralimbic areas to emotional processing, the observed reductions in GMV in these regions might represent neural correlates of disturbance in emotional processing underlying antisocial behavior. Previous studies have suggested an FPC role in attention allocation during emotional processing. Therefore, GMV deviations in this area may constitute a neural basis of deficits in attention allocation linked with antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Aoki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan yuaoki-tky
| | - Ryota Inokuchi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Nakao
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Ebara Hospital, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-0065, Japan, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan, and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
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Brook M, Brieman CL, Kosson DS. Emotion processing in Psychopathy Checklist-assessed psychopathy: a review of the literature. Clin Psychol Rev 2013; 33:979-95. [PMID: 24013478 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Deficient emotional experience is recognized as one of the central features of psychopathy and an impressive body of empirical findings regarding emotion processing in psychopathy has amassed over the past several decades, resulting in two broad theoretical perspectives. The general emotional deficit perspective postulates a globally reduced capacity for emotional experience and processing across the emotional spectrum. In contrast, according to the specific emotional deficit perspective, psychopathy is associated with abnormal experience of only specific types of emotion; several distinct hypotheses have been proposed under this latter perspective. We systematically and critically review findings from peer-reviewed research of emotion processing in psychopathy in relation to the two theoretical perspectives. In general, findings suggest that, compared to controls, psychopaths exhibit behavioral, psychophysiologic, and regional brain activation anomalies when processing emotion, but their ratings of self-arousal and stimulus valence/intensity do not differ from controls. However, when behavioral findings are examined separately by emotion type, the overall pattern of findings is not clearly consistent with any of the dominant theoretical perspectives of emotion processing in psychopathy. We summarize the current state of the field, including consistencies and inconsistencies in the literature, offer alternative explanations for the findings, and outline directions for future research.
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Radke S, Brazil IA, Scheper I, Bulten BH, de Bruijn ERA. Unfair offers, unfair offenders? Fairness considerations in incarcerated individuals with and without psychopathy. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:406. [PMID: 23898257 PMCID: PMC3724121 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Offenders with psychopathy have often committed crimes violating social norms, which may suggest a biased moral reasoning in psychopathy. Yet, as findings on utilitarian decisions remain conflicting, the current study investigated different aspects of fairness considerations in offenders with psychopathy, offenders without psychopathy and healthy individuals (N = 18/14/18, respectively). Unfair offers in a modified Ultimatum Game (UG) were paired with different unselected alternatives, thereby establishing the context of a proposal, and made under opposing intentionality constraints (intentional vs. unintentional). As in previous studies, unfair offers were most often rejected when the alternative was fair and when the offer was made intentionally. Importantly, however, offenders with psychopathy demonstrated a similar rejection pattern to that of healthy individuals, i.e., taking the unselected alternative into account. In contrast, delinquents without psychopathy did not adjust their decision behavior to the alternatives to an offer, suggesting stronger impairments in social decision-making. Crucially, the mechanisms and processes underlying rejection decisions might differ, particularly with regard to cognitive vs. emotional competencies. While preserved cognitive perspective-taking could drive seemingly intact decision patterns in psychopathy, emotional empathy is likely to be compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Radke
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Inti A. Brazil
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
- PompestichtingNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Inge Scheper
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Ellen R. A. de Bruijn
- Department of Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
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40
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Tsuchida A, Fellows LK. Are core component processes of executive function dissociable within the frontal lobes? Evidence from humans with focal prefrontal damage. Cortex 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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41
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Brazil IA, Maes JHRM, Scheper I, Bulten BH, Kessels RPC, Verkes RJ, de Bruijn ERA. Reversal deficits in individuals with psychopathy in explicit but not implicit learning conditions. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2013; 38:E13-20. [PMID: 23552501 PMCID: PMC3692728 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.120152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Revised: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychopathy is a severe personality disorder that has been linked to impaired behavioural adaptation during reinforcement learning. Recent electrophysiological studies have suggested that psychopathy is related to impairments in intentionally using information relevant for adapting behaviour, whereas these impairments remain absent for behaviour relying on automatic use of information. We sought to investigate whether previously found impairments in response reversal in individuals with psychopathy also follow this dichotomy. We expected response reversal to be intact when the automatic use of information was facilitated. In contrast, we expected impaired response reversal when intentional use of information was required. METHODS We included offenders with psychopathy and matched healthy controls in 2 experiments with a probabilistic cued go/no-go reaction time task. The task implicated the learning and reversal of 2 predictive contingencies. In experiment 1, participants were not informed about the inclusion of a learning component, thus making cue-dependent learning automatic/incidental. In experiment 2, the instructions required participants to actively monitor and learn predictive relationships, giving learning a controlled/intentional nature. RESULTS While there were no significant group differences in acquisition learning in either experiment, the results revealed impaired response reversal in offenders with psychopathy when controlled learning was facilitated. Interestingly, this impairment was absent when automatic learning was predominant. LIMITATIONS Possible limitations are the use of a nonforensic control group and of self-report measures for drug use. CONCLUSION Response reversal deficits in individuals with psychopathy are modulated by the context provided by the instructions, according to the distinction between automatic and controlled processing in these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inti A Brazil
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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De Brito SA, Viding E, Kumari V, Blackwood N, Hodgins S. Cool and hot executive function impairments in violent offenders with antisocial personality disorder with and without psychopathy. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65566. [PMID: 23840340 PMCID: PMC3688734 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Accepted: 04/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairments in executive function characterize offenders with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and offenders with psychopathy. However, the extent to which those impairments are associated with ASPD, psychopathy, or both is unknown. METHODS The present study examined 17 violent offenders with ASPD and psychopathy (ASPD+P), 28 violent offenders with ASPD without psychopathy (ASPD-P), and 21 healthy non-offenders on tasks assessing cool (verbal working memory and alteration of motor responses to spatial locations) and hot (reversal learning, decision-making under risk, and stimulus-reinforcement-based decision-making) executive function. RESULTS In comparison to healthy non-offenders, violent offenders with ASPD+P and those with ASPD-P showed similar impairments in verbal working memory and adaptive decision-making. They failed to learn from punishment cues, to change their behaviour in the face of changing contingencies, and made poorer quality decisions despite longer periods of deliberation. Intriguingly, the two groups of offenders did not differ significantly from the non-offenders in terms of their alteration of motor responses to spatial locations and their levels of risk-taking, indicated by betting, and impulsivity, measured as delay aversion. The performance of the two groups of offenders on the measures of cool and hot executive function did not differ, indicating shared deficits. CONCLUSIONS These documented impairments may help to explain the persistence of antisocial behaviours despite the known risks of the negative consequences of such behaviours.
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Baskin-Sommers AR, Curtin JJ, Newman JP. Emotion-modulated startle in psychopathy: clarifying familiar effects. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 122:458-68. [PMID: 23356218 PMCID: PMC3640755 DOI: 10.1037/a0030958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The behavior of psychopathic individuals is thought to reflect a core fear deficit that prevents these individuals from appreciating the consequences of their choices and actions. However, growing evidence suggests that psychopathy-related emotion deficits are moderated by attention and, thus, may not reflect a reduced capacity for emotion responding. The present study attempts to reconcile this attention perspective with one of the most cited findings in psychopathy, which reports emotion-modulated startle deficits among psychopathic individuals during picture viewing. In this study, we evaluate the potential effects of a putative attention bottleneck on the emotion processing of psychopathic offenders during picture viewing by manipulating picture familiarity and examining emotion-modulated startle and late positive potential (LPP). As predicted, psychopathic individuals displayed the classic deficit in emotion-modulated startle during novel pictures, but they showed no deficit in emotion-modulated startle during familiar pictures. Conversely, results for LPP responses revealed psychopathy-related differences during familiar pictures and no psychopathy-related differences during novel pictures. Important differences related to the two factors of psychopathy are also discussed. Overall, the results of this study not only highlight the differential importance of perceptual load on emotion processing in psychopathy, but also raise interesting questions about the varied effects of attention on psychopathy-related emotion deficits.
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Keilp JG, Gorlyn M, Russell M, Oquendo MA, Burke AK, Harkavy-Friedman J, Mann JJ. Neuropsychological function and suicidal behavior: attention control, memory and executive dysfunction in suicide attempt. Psychol Med 2013; 43:539-551. [PMID: 22781400 PMCID: PMC3767483 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712001419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive dysfunction, distinct from other cognitive deficits in depression, has been associated with suicidal behavior. However, this dysfunction is not found consistently across samples. METHOD Medication-free subjects with DSM-IV major depressive episode (major depressive disorder and bipolar type I disorder) and a past history of suicidal behavior (n = 72) were compared to medication-free depressed subjects with no history of suicidal behavior (n = 80) and healthy volunteers (n = 56) on a battery of tests assessing neuropsychological functions typically affected by depression (motor and psychomotor speed, attention, memory) and executive functions reportedly impaired in suicide attempters (abstract/contingent learning, working memory, language fluency, impulse control). RESULTS All of the depressed subjects performed worse than healthy volunteers on motor, psychomotor and language fluency tasks. Past suicide attempters, in turn, performed worse than depressed non-attempters on attention and memory/working memory tasks [a computerized Stroop task, the Buschke Selective Reminding Task (SRT), the Benton Visual Retention Test (VRT) and an N-back task] but not on other executive function measures, including a task associated with ventral prefrontal function (Object Alternation). Deficits were not accounted for by current suicidal ideation or the lethality of past attempts. A small subsample of those using a violent method in their most lethal attempt showed a pattern of poor executive performance. CONCLUSIONS Deficits in specific components of attention control, memory and working memory were associated with suicidal behavior in a sample where non-violent attempt predominated. Broader executive dysfunction in depression may be associated with specific forms of suicidal behavior, rather than suicidal behavior per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Keilp
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY, USA.
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Gopal A, Clark E, Allgair A, D'Amato C, Furman M, Gansler DA, Fulwiler C. Dorsal/ventral parcellation of the amygdala: relevance to impulsivity and aggression. Psychiatry Res 2013; 211:24-30. [PMID: 23352275 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2012] [Revised: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Investigations into the specific association of amygdala volume, a critical aspect of the fronto-limbic emotional circuitry, and aggression have produced results broadly consistent with the 'larger is more powerful' doctrine. However, recent reports suggest that the ventral and dorsal aspects of the amygdala play functionally specific roles, respectively, in the activation and control of behavior. Therefore, parceling amygdala volume into dorsal and ventral components might prove productive in testing hypotheses regarding volumetric association to aggression, and impulsivity, a related aspect of self-control. We sought to test this hypothesis in a group of 41 psychiatric patients who received standard magnetic resonance imaging and a psychometric protocol including aggression and impulsivity measures. Whole amygdala volumes were not associated with aggression or impulsivity, but significant correlations were found when dorsal/ventral amygdalae were analyzed separately. Specifically, left and right ventral amygdala volume was positively associated with motor impulsivity, and left dorsal amygdala was negatively associated with aggression. Results are discussed in terms of an activation and control model of brain-behavior relations. Potential relevance to the continuum of amygdala hyper- to hypo-activation and aggression is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abilash Gopal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Feilhauer J, Cima M. Youth psychopathy: Differential correlates of callous-unemotional traits, narcissism, and impulsivity. Forensic Sci Int 2013; 224:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2011] [Revised: 09/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Arbuckle NL, Cunningham WA. Understanding Everyday Psychopathy: Shared Group Identity Leads to Increased Concern for Others among Undergraduates Higher in Psychopathy. SOCIAL COGNITION 2012. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2012.30.5.564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Mahmut MK, Stevenson RJ. Olfactory Abilities and Psychopathy: Higher Psychopathy Scores Are Associated with Poorer Odor Discrimination and Identification. CHEMOSENS PERCEPT 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s12078-012-9135-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dolan M. The neuropsychology of prefrontal function in antisocial personality disordered offenders with varying degrees of psychopathy. Psychol Med 2012; 42:1715-1725. [PMID: 22142550 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291711002686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite methodological differences between studies, it has been suggested that psychopathy may be associated with a ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) deficit and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), as classified in the DSM-IV, with a broader range of deficits in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and VMPFC function. METHOD Ninety-six male offenders with ASPD who were assessed using the psychopathy checklist: screening version (PCL:SV) and 49 male right-handed healthy controls (HCs), matched for age and IQ, completed a neuropsychological test battery. RESULTS Offenders with ASPD displayed subtle impairments on executive function tasks of planning ability and set shifting and behavioural inhibition compared to HCs. However, among the offenders with ASPD there was no significant association between executive function impairment and scores on the measure of psychopathy. CONCLUSIONS Psychopathic traits in offenders with ASPD are not associated with greater executive function impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dolan
- Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Monash University, Clifton Hill, VIC, Australia.
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Rothemund Y, Ziegler S, Hermann C, Gruesser SM, Foell J, Patrick CJ, Flor H. Fear conditioning in psychopaths: event-related potentials and peripheral measures. Biol Psychol 2012; 90:50-9. [PMID: 22387928 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Aversive pavlovian delay conditioning was investigated in a sample of 11 criminal psychopaths as identified by using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and 11 matched healthy controls. A painful electric stimulus served as unconditioned stimulus and neutral faces as conditioned stimuli. Event-related potentials, startle response potentiation, skin conductance response, corrugator activity, and heart rate were assessed, along with valence, arousal, and contingency ratings of the CS and US. Compared to healthy controls, psychopathic subjects failed to differentiate between the CS+/CS- as shown by an absence of a conditioned response in startle potentiation and skin conductance measures. Through use of a fear-eliciting US, these data confirm previous findings of a deficient capacity to form associations between neutral and aversive events in psychopathy that appears unrelated to cognitive deficits and is consistent with hypothesized frontolimbic deficits in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Rothemund
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Medicine Charité, Berlin, Germany
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