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Authors' reply

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

E. M. Viding
E. M. Viding*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology University College London, London, UK. Email: [email protected]
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The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 191 , Issue 3 , September 2007 , pp. 265
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Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2007 

Asperger's use of the term psychopathy refers to personality disorder/psychopathology rather than to psychopathy as defined by current criteria. Recent research carried out with colleagues indicates that although there are individuals who have the neurocognitive profile associated with both autistic-spectrum disorders and psychopathy, most individuals with autistic-spectrum disorders (even those with antisocial behaviour) do not show neurocognitive deficits characteristic of psychopathy (Reference Rogers, Viding and BlairRogers et al, 2006). More importantly, a case review of 177 cases originally diagnosed by Asperger found no raised incidence of criminal offences compared with rates in the general population (Reference Hippler and KlicperaHippler & Klicpera, 2003). It is clear that there are individuals with Asperger's syndrome/autistic-spectrum disorder who commit crimes (Reference Baron-CohenBaron-Cohen, 1988; Reference Scragg and ShahScragg & Shah, 1994). However, Asperger's psychopathy does not equal psychopathy as defined by current practice.

References

Baron-Cohen, S. (1988) An assessment of violence in a young man with Asperger's syndrome. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 29, 351–360.Google Scholar
Hippler, K. & Klicpera, C. (2003) A retrospective analysis of the clinical case records of autistic psychopaths’ diagnosed by Hans Asperger and his team at the University Children's Hospital, Vienna. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 358, 291–301.Google Scholar
Rogers, J. S. C., Viding, E., Blair, R. J. R., et al (2006) Autism spectrum disorder and psychopathy: shared cognitive underpinnings or double hit? Psychological Medicine, 36, 1789–1798.Google Scholar
Scragg, P. & Shah, A. (1994) Prevalence of Asperger's syndrome in a secure hospital. British Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 679–682.Google Scholar
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