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A magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of antisocial behaviour disorder, psychopathy and violent crime among military conscripts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Cengiz Basoglu*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Umit Semiz
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Ozgur Oner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Diskapi State Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Huseyin Gunay
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Etimesgut Veteran Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Servet Ebrinc
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Mesut Cetin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Onur Sildiroglu
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Ayhan Algul
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Alpay Ates
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Guner Sonmez
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
*
Cengiz Basoglu, GATA Haydarpasa Egt. Hst., Psikiyatri Servisi Kadikoy, Istanbul 34710, Turkey. Tel: +90 216 542 20 20; Fax: +90 216 550 34 73; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Background:

Prefrontal and/or temporo-limbic abnormalities associated with antisocial personality disorder (APD), high psychopathy scores and violent behaviours can readily be evaluated by neuroimaging methods.

Objectives:

In this study, we compared the brain metabolites in adult male military conscripts with APD, high psychopathy scores and serious violent crimes (n = 15) with age- and educational-level-matched healthy controls (n = 15) by means of magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Methods:

All cases were diagnosed by means of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV APD module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III-R Axis II Disorders (SCID-II) semistructured questionnaire in Turkish. The psychopathy scores were evaluated by means of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised translated into Turkish (PCL-R). PCL-R is a 20-item, reliable and valid instrument for assessment of psychopathy, both in categorical and dimensional natures. All patients had a total score of 29 (of possible 40) or higher from PCL-R, indicating a high degree of psychopathy.

Results:

Our results showed no significant differences in ratio of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr) and choline-related compounds in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and amygdala–hippocampus regions of cases compared with controls. ACC NAA/Cr was significantly negatively correlated with both the PCL-R total score and the PCL-R factor I score (interpersonal/affective problems) among the cases.

Conclusion:

As ACC plays an important role in decision-making and emotional information processing, we postulate that the lower NAA/Cr ratio, suggesting impaired neural integrity, may increase the severity of interpersonal/affective problems of the psychopathy factor in male subjects exhibiting APD, high psychopathy overall scores and violent crimes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Blackwell Munksgaard

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