Dynamics of parasympathetic activity in violent incarcerated offenders before, during, and in recovery from an emotional inhibition task

Theories of Arousal Predict a Link Between Heart Rate Variability and Reactive Aggression: Meta-Analytic Results Disagree

Polyvagal theory posits that habitually aggressive individuals might have an impaired capacity to calm after arousal, which has led to the investigation of Arousal-based biological indicators - "biomarkers" - of aggression, to identify individuals at high risk. The most popular approach in research examining (specifically reactive) aggression is the use of wearable technologies that can non-invasively measure heart rate variability (HRV), a cardiovascular phenomenon impacted by activation of the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") nervous system. But there is a problem: no one has systematically analyzed the results of these studies to determine if HRV is an effective predictor of reactive aggression. We surveyed an initial 705 articles, producing 48 effect estimates amenable to meta-analysis. Counter to predictions derived from polyvagal theory, the results reveal no correlation between HRV and reactive aggression. We discuss the implications of this novel finding for theory and practice, considering both the complexity of identifying effective biomarkers and the practical limitations driving methodological decisions in aggression research. We conclude that there is no empirical evidence supporting HRV as a valid biomarker of aggression.

Executive functioning in antisocial behavior: A multi-level systematic meta-analysis

Neurobiological information - including executive functioning - is increasingly relevant for forensic clinical practice, as well as for the criminal justice system. Previous meta-analyses report that antisocial populations show impaired performance on executive functioning tasks, but these meta-analyses are outdated, have limitations in their methodological approach, and are therefore in need of an update. The current multi-level meta-analysis including 133 studies (2008-2023) confirms impaired performance in executive functioning (d=.42), but studies are heterogeneous. Several moderator analyses showed that neuropsychological test used, type of executive function component, and control group characteristics moderated the overall effect. Specifically, matching psychiatric problems in the non-antisocial control group eliminated any differences in executive functioning between groups. No moderation effects were found for assessment quality, hot or cold executive functions, and various population characteristics. These results could indicate that the assessment of executive functioning in antisocial populations may be less relevant for recidivism risk assessment than thought, although this should first be assessed in prospective longitudinal studies. Executive functioning could potentially be used to identify or screen for individuals with certain treatment needs or be used as a responsivity factor, especially in disorders which are often underdiagnosed in criminal justice settings.

Weakened sympathetic response and lower parasympathetic activity in intimate partner violence perpetrators when empathizing: Influence of autonomous activation in affective approach and prosocial behavior

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning has been proposed as a relevant method to characterize the therapeutic needs of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. Nevertheless, research has neglected the influence of the ANS on socio-affective functions in this population. The aim of the present study was to analyze the psychophysiological activity of IPV perpetrators (n = 52) compared to controls (n = 46) following an empathic induction task, performed through negative emotion-eliciting videos. We employed two general ANS markers (heart rate [HR] and respiratory rate [RR]), two sympathetic-related indexes (pre-ejection period [PEP] and skin conductance level [SCL]) and a parasympathetic biomarker (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]). Additionally, we explored the impact of psychophysiological activity on prosocial behavior using Hare's donation procedure. Compared to controls, IPV perpetrators reported lower HR and SCL following the task, as well as longer PEP, suggesting an attenuated sympathetic response to others' distress. No differences in the RSA response pattern were found, however, IPV perpetrators displayed lower overall RSA levels throughout the protocol, indicative of reduced parasympathetic activity. Besides, while no differences in prosocial performance were observed, greater sympathetic responses and overall parasympathetic activity predicted increased donations across the sample. Thus, a high sympathetic and parasympathetic activity might influence the occurrence of prosocial behavior. The present study provides further evidence supporting that IPV perpetrators cope differently with others' negative emotions. In line with this biopsychosocial perspective, insights are gained on the emotional processing of IPV perpetrators which, in turn, could contribute to improve IPV psychotherapeutic programs.