Implication of Neural Deficits in Antisocial Personality Disorders Alex Barbosa

Antisocial Personality Disorder Conduct disorder (CD) and antisocial personality disorder (APD) are both diagnosed by the DSM-IV. CD – younger than 18yrs CD/APD – basis of behavior 6 months of conduct disturbance Pervasive pattern of disregard for others Violation of the rights of others

Antisocial Personality Disorder Con’t Psychopathy classifications are an extension of CD and APD. High scores on clinical scales Psychopathy Screening Device (PSD) Revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) Antisocial behavior – impulsive aggression/offensive Emotion dysfunction – emotional shallowness and lack of guilt

Background Research in the antisocial personality disorders have focused on impairments in executive functioning and emotion processing. This suggests the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala might be implicated in the antisocial personality disorders.

Neurocognitive Explanations of the Antisocial Personality Disorders Blair and Frith 2000

Three theories of neurcognitive impairments in the APDs Impairment in executive functioning E.g. – planning, inhibition Prefrontal cortex Impairment in executive emotion processing E.g. – associated w/learned or innate Orbital-Frontal cortex Impairment in emotion processing E.g. – fear, empathy Amygdala

Violent Inhibition Mechanism (VIM) VIM model suggests that if a submissive cue is displayed, an aggressor will terminate its attack. Failure to develop this VIM suggests development of psychopathic behavior. Individual with VIM dysfunction does not show arousal to distress cues.

Conclusions Development of APDs is not associated with impairments in executive functioning. Development of APDs may be implicated as a result of impairments of executive emotion processing Development of APDs is associated with an impairment in emotional processing possibly involving dysfunction in the amygdala.

Future Studies Is a neuro dysfunction the cause of the antisocial personality disorders? Is the amygdala this neuro dysfunction?