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Picard EH, Bopp LL, Rosenfeld B. Neuropsychological Functioning in Sexual Offenders With and Without Pedophilic Disorder. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:43-56. [PMID: 37749338 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02689-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
This study sought to examine neuropsychological functioning in men with pedophilic disorder (PD), in order to assess whether findings from prior neuropsychological studies are replicated in a diverse sample including men with non-contact sexual offenses. It was hypothesized that when non-contact offenders are included in the study, a slowed processing speed will emerge as the only finding unique to men with PD. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered to 58 men convicted of a sexual offense, 20 of whom were classified as having PD. The sample included men with contact sexual offenses (n = 33), non-contact sexual offenses (n = 5), and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offenses (n = 20). Test performance was compared by PD status. Participants with PD performed significantly better on verbal memory and visual discrimination than those without PD. Men with PD made more errors on a set-shifting task but no significant differences were seen in domains of attention, intellectual functioning, visual learning and memory, visuospatial ability, or language ability. Effect sizes were generally small, although some medium effects were seen (visual discrimination and verbal learning and memory). Scores in both groups (with and without PD) were generally in the average range across tasks. Within the subgroup of CSAM offenders, minimal differences emerged between those with and without PD, although those with PD were slower on visuomotor set-shifting but made fewer errors (d = - 0.89). CSAM offenders with PD were in the high average range on many tasks of intellectual functioning; however, a potential trend was identified such that CSAM offenders without PD had lower scores on a task of verbal learning and memory, with medium effect sizes observed. As few differences in neuropsychological functioning emerged when comparing offenders with and without PD, differences demonstrated in prior research may be better attributed to contact offending status rather than sexual interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie H Picard
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Virginia Medical Center, West Complex, Rm. 4472, 1300 Jefferson Park Ave., Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
| | - Lillian L Bopp
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Barry Rosenfeld
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA
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2
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Storch M, Kanthack M, Amelung T, Beier KM, Krueger THC, Sinke C, Walter H, Walter M, Schiffer B, Schindler S, Schoenknecht P. Hypothalamic volume in pedophilia with or without child sexual offense. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 273:1295-1306. [PMID: 36370175 PMCID: PMC10449687 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01501-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus regulates sexual behavior and is simultaneously associated with aggression and violence. Consequently, this brain region is relevant in research of pedophilia and child sexual offenses (CSO). The distinction between these two phenomena is of great importance and was the object of consideration of this study. We analyzed exclusively men, including 73 pedophilic offenders who committed CSO, an equal number of people with pedophilia but without such offenses, and 133 non-pedophilic, non-offending subjects who formed the control group. All data were collected in a multicenter in vivo study and analyzed using a semi-automated segmentation algorithm for 3-Tesla magnetic resonance images. Men with pedophilia who committed CSO on average had a 47 mm3 smaller hypothalamus per side than people without committed CSO. This effect was driven by both the group of non-offending people with pedophilia and the control group. By contrast, the exploratory comparison of pedophilic persons without CSO with the control group showed no significant difference. The present study demonstrates a deviant hypothalamic structure as a neurobiological correlate of CSO in pedophiles, but not in people with pedophilia who have not committed CSO. Thus, it strengthens the argument to distinguish between sexual offending and paraphilic sexual preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Storch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Maria Kanthack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Till Amelung
- Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus M Beier
- Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tillmann H C Krueger
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hanover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Christopher Sinke
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hanover, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-Von Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, 44791, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stephanie Schindler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter Schoenknecht
- Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Out-Patient Department for Sexual-Therapeutic Prevention and Forensic Psychiatry, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Academic Saxon State Hospital Arnsdorf, 01477, Arnsdorf, Germany
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3
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Swaminath S, Simons RM, Hatwan ML. Understanding Pedophilia: A Theoretical Framework on the Development of Sexual Penchants. JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 2023; 32:732-748. [PMID: 37463124 DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2023.2236602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Pedophilia is a significant public health problem. Despite its cost to society, little effort has been directed toward understanding idiographic differences in the development and maintenance of pedophilia. Extant literature emphasizes biological underpinnings and predictors of re-offense. In this article, we posit that pedophilic penchants in males originate due to language, cognition, emotions, and emotion regulation. Adverse childhood experiences, such as emotional and sexual abuse, are posited as a major contributor to the etiology of pedophilia. However, not all individuals attracted to minors present with similar childhood adversities. The development of pedophilia, in the absence of such direct training (childhood adversities), is difficult to comprehend. Relational frame theory, a comprehensive account of human language and cognition, aids in deciphering the idiographic underpinnings of pedophilia. The role of maladaptive emotion regulation in maintaining pedophilia is also described. This article presents examples of how relational frames are established and activated in distressing contexts. Finally, implications for future research are discussed.
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Scarpazza C, Costa C, Battaglia U, Berryessa C, Bianchetti ML, Caggiu I, Devinsky O, Ferracuti S, Focquaert F, Forgione A, Gilbert F, Pennati A, Pietrini P, Rainero I, Sartori G, Swerdlow R, Camperio Ciani AS. Acquired Pedophilia: international Delphi-method-based consensus guidelines. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:11. [PMID: 36653356 PMCID: PMC9849353 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02314-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic and acquired pedophilia are two different disorders with two different etiologies. However, the differential diagnosis is still very difficult, as the behavioral indicators used to discriminate the two forms of pedophilia are underexplored, and clinicians are still devoid of clear guidelines describing the clinical and neuroscientific investigations suggested to help them with this difficult task. Furthermore, the consequences of misdiagnosis are not known, and a consensus regarding the legal consequences for the two kinds of offenders is still lacking. The present study used the Delphi method to reach a global consensus on the following six topics: behavioral indicators/red flags helpful for differential diagnosis; neurological conditions potentially leading to acquired pedophilia; neuroscientific investigations important for a correct understanding of the case; consequences of misdiagnosis; legal consequences; and issues and future perspectives. An international and multidisciplinary board of scientists and clinicians took part in the consensus statements as Delphi members. The Delphi panel comprised 52 raters with interdisciplinary competencies, including neurologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, forensic psychologists, expert in ethics, etc. The final recommendations consisted of 63 statements covering the six different topics. The current study is the first expert consensus on a delicate topic such as pedophilia. Important exploitable consensual recommendations that can ultimately be of immediate use by clinicians to help with differential diagnosis and plan and guide therapeutic interventions are described, as well as future perspectives for researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. .,Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy. .,IRCCS S. Camillo Hospital, Venezia, Italy.
| | - Cristiano Costa
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy ,grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Battaglia
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Applied Psychology, FISPPA – University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Colleen Berryessa
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ USA
| | - Maria Lucia Bianchetti
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ilenia Caggiu
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Orrin Devinsky
- grid.137628.90000 0004 1936 8753Epilepsy Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Stefano Ferracuti
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Human Neurosciences Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Farah Focquaert
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Arianna Forgione
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Fredric Gilbert
- grid.1009.80000 0004 1936 826XEthics, Policy & Public Engagement (EPPE) ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Faculty of Arts, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | | | - Pietro Pietrini
- grid.462365.00000 0004 1790 9464IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Innocenzo Rainero
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Neurology I, Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Russell Swerdlow
- grid.412016.00000 0001 2177 6375University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS USA
| | - Andrea S. Camperio Ciani
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Applied Psychology, FISPPA – University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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5
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Boschetti A, Camperio Ciani A, Scarpazza C. Sexual offenses and the brain. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:161-179. [PMID: 37633708 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00017-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Sexual offenses are a great concern worldwide due to the devastating physical and psychological consequences the victims of such crimes often experience. It is an important task to investigate potential mechanisms that may underlie sexual offending and predispose an individual for such antisocial behavior. Advanced techniques in neuroscience are increasingly used to uncover biomarkers in psychiatric disorders and organic brain disease. As this type of research is flourishing, preliminary studies with the aim to explore the neural basis of sex offenders have started to appear. To this purpose, researchers began to study the brain's structural and functional changes and the neurocognitive profiles of sex offenders, in comparison to nonoffenders and nonsex offenders, or among different subtypes of sex offenders. Most of the research to date has focused on pedophilia, with some inconsistent findings, which hampers the translation of the results into the forensic and clinical context. Any attempt to increase convergent evidence may profit from the harmonization of data analysis and avoidance of methodological inconsistencies, which can account for the different results across studies. Today, uncovering the neural basis of sex offences has to become a priority, not only for clinical interventions, but might also be important knowledge for crime prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Boschetti
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Camperio Ciani
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Translational Cognitive and NeuroImaging Lab, IRCCS Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy.
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6
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Baltodano-Calle MJ, Onton-Díaz M, Gonzales GF. Androgens, brain and androgen deprivation therapy in paraphilic disorders: A narrative review. Andrologia 2022; 54:e14561. [PMID: 35995581 DOI: 10.1111/and.14561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual delinquency is a global problem where those with paraphilic disorders, such as paedophiles, are more likely to commit and reoffend. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been suggested as a solution. The objective of this narrative review is to present current information on its risks, benefits and limitations as a treatment for paraphilias. The importance of testosterone in sexual function, the effect of its deficiency by age or by pharmacological treatment (anti-androgens, GnRH agonists and GnRH antagonists) and the effect of testosterone replacement therapy will be reviewed. The relationship between androgens, brain, sexual behaviour and pathophysiology of paraphilic disorders will also be explored. ADT reduces sexual urges, but has adverse effects and, because its reversible nature, it does not ensure less recidivism. Likewise, the research quality of ADT drugs is limited and not enough to support their use. Child sex offenders, and not paraphilic subjects who have not committed assaults, show signs of elevated prenatal exposure to androgens and a higher methylation state of the androgen receptor gene. Sexual behaviour is regulated by subcortical (hypothalamus, brainstem and spinal cord) and cortical structures of the brain, in addition to brain circuits (dopaminergic, serotonergic). Those with paraphilic disorders show abnormalities at these levels that could relate to the risk of sexual offences. In conclusion, androgens represent a significant part of the pathophysiology of paraphilias and therefore, ADT seems promising. Nonetheless, more studies are needed to make definite conclusions about the efficacy of long-term ADT in paraphilic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melisa Onton-Díaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University., Lima, Peru
| | - Gustavo F Gonzales
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Reproducción, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo (LID), Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.,Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
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7
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Jahnke S, Schmidt AF, Klöckner A, Hoyer J. Neurodevelopmental Differences, Pedohebephilia, and Sexual Offending: Findings from Two Online Surveys. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:849-866. [PMID: 34993718 PMCID: PMC8888371 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02228-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The neurodevelopmental theory of pedohebephilia states that sexual interests in children arise from early neurodevelopmental perturbations, as, for example, evidenced by increased non-right-handedness, more childhood head injuries, and reduced intelligence and height. As corroborating evidence largely rests on samples of convicted men, we conducted online surveys among German-speaking (Study 1, N = 199) and English-speaking men (Study 2, N = 632), specifically targeting community members with pedohebephilic or teleiophilic interests. Although we detected theoretically meaningful sexual interest patterns in an embedded viewing time task, we could not detect expected neurodevelopmental differences between teleiophilic and pedohebephilic men in either of the two studies. Strikingly, pedohebephilic men who reported convictions for sexual offenses emerged as shorter and less intelligent than pedohebephilic men without convictions in Study 2. While elucidating possible third variable confounds, results have to be interpreted cautiously because of the methodological problems inherent to non-matched case control designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jahnke
- Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, 5020, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Alexander F Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Social & Legal Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andrea Klöckner
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hoyer
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Schuler M, Mohnke S, Amelung T, Beier KM, Walter M, Ponseti J, Schiffer B, Kruger THC, Walter H. Neural processing associated with Cognitive Empathy in Pedophilia and Child Sexual Offending. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:712-722. [PMID: 34907428 PMCID: PMC9340114 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral studies found evidence for superior cognitive empathy (CE) in pedophilic men without a history of child sexual offending (P-CSO) compared to pedophilic men with a history of CSO (P+CSO). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies also point to differences between P-CSO and P+CSO. Neural processing associated with CE has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the neural correlates of CE in subjects with pedophilia with (P+CSO) and without (P-CSO) child sexual offending. 15 P+CSO, 15 P-CSO, and 24 teleiophilic male controls (TC) performed a CE task during fMRI. We observed reduced activation in the left precuneus (Pcu) and increased activation in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in P-CSO compared to P+CSO. P-CSO also showed stronger connectivity between these regions, which might reflect a top-down modulation of the Pcu by the ACC toward an increased self-focused emotional reaction in social situations. There was also evidence for increased right superior temporal gyrus activation in P-CSO that might constitute a potentially compensatory recruitment due to the dampened Pcu activation. These findings provide first evidence for altered neural processing of CE in P-CSO and underline the importance of addressing CE in pedophilia and CSO in order to uncover processes relevant to effective prevention of child sexual abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Schuler
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine
| | - Sebastian Mohnke
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Amelung
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine
| | - Klaus M Beier
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany.,Department for Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jorge Ponseti
- Department for Integrative Psychiatry, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Tillmann H C Kruger
- Divison of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine. Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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9
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Klöckner MS, Jordan K, Kiehl KA, Nyalakanti PK, Harenski CL, Müller JL. Widespread and interrelated gray matter reductions in child sexual offenders with and without pedophilia: Evidence from a multivariate structural MRI study. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 75:331-340. [PMID: 34346537 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM To further investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of child sexual offending and disentangle them from the neural correlates of pedophilia, using a multivariate analytical approach in order to minimize loss of statistical power. METHODS This study presents structural MRI data on gray matter in an incarcerated, male population of 22 pedophilic and 21 non-pedophilic child sexual offenders, and 20 violent non-sexual offender controls, based on a multivariate whole-brain approach using source-based morphometry. RESULTS We identify a network of several neuroanatomical regions exhibiting interrelated reduced gray matter in both child sexual offender groups relative to controls, comprising extensive clusters in the bilateral cerebellum and frontal lobe, as well as smaller clusters in the bilateral parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, the bilateral basal ganglia, the medial cingulate and the hippocampus. CONCLUSION Our results speak to the interpretation that there are inter- and possibly connectivity-related brain structural abnormalities in child sexual offenders that are not (only) pertaining to pedophilia per se. Interpretations and limitations of the present data are discussed and recommendations for future works are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona S Klöckner
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Research Department Transnational Politics, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kirsten Jordan
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Prashanth K Nyalakanti
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Carla L Harenski
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jürgen L Müller
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Rosburg T, Pflueger MO, Mokros A, Boillat C, Deuring G, Spielmann T, Graf M. Indirect and Neuropsychological Indicators of Pedophilia. SEXUAL ABUSE : A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2021; 33:579-605. [PMID: 32543329 DOI: 10.1177/1079063220931822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to differentiate pedophilic child sex offenders (CSOs) from nonoffending controls (CTLs), as well as contact from noncontact CSOs. For this purpose, we investigated 21 contact CSOs, 20 noncontact CSOs (child pornography offenders), as well as 21 CTLs on neuropsychological test measures and indirect test measures of sexual interest. Multiple logistic regression models showed that three parameters of indirect tests and two neuropsychological test parameters allowed the differentiation of CSOs from CTLs with a maximum accuracy of 87%. The profile of contact and noncontact CSOs was remarkably similar and the optimal model for this group differentiation had a maximum accuracy of 66%, with slightly increased levels of risk-taking behavior and greater susceptibility for perceptual interference in contact CSOs than in noncontact CSOs. The findings suggest that standardized, objective methods can support the assessment of sexual offenders against children in forensic psychiatry and legal psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timm Rosburg
- University of Basel, Switzerland
- University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Switzerland
- University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marlon O Pflueger
- University of Basel, Switzerland
- University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Mokros
- University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Switzerland
- FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany
| | - Coralie Boillat
- University of Basel, Switzerland
- University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gunnar Deuring
- University of Basel, Switzerland
- University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thorsten Spielmann
- University of Basel, Switzerland
- University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Graf
- University of Basel, Switzerland
- University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Switzerland
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11
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Fernandez JA, Fernandez JA, Aga Mohd Jaladin R. Beware of the menacing monsters around us: protecting Malaysian children from sexual abuse. BRITISH JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE & COUNSELLING 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03069885.2021.1938970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janet Ann Fernandez
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Rafidah Aga Mohd Jaladin
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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12
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Scarpazza C, Finos L, Genon S, Masiero L, Bortolato E, Cavaliere C, Pezzaioli J, Monaro M, Navarin N, Battaglia U, Pietrini P, Ferracuti S, Sartori G, Camperio Ciani AS. Idiopathic and acquired pedophilia as two distinct disorders: an insight from neuroimaging. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:2681-2692. [PMID: 33507519 PMCID: PMC8500885 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-020-00442-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Pedophilia is a disorder of public concern because of its association with child sexual offense and recidivism. Previous neuroimaging studies of potential brain abnormalities underlying pedophilic behavior, either in idiopathic or acquired (i.e., emerging following brain damages) pedophilia, led to inconsistent results. This study sought to explore the neural underpinnings of pedophilic behavior and to determine the extent to which brain alterations may be related to distinct psychopathological features in pedophilia. To this aim, we run a coordinate based meta-analysis on previously published papers reporting whole brain analysis and a lesion network analysis, using brain lesions as seeds in a resting state connectivity analysis. The behavioral profiling approach was applied to link identified regions with the corresponding psychological processes. While no consistent neuroanatomical alterations were identified in idiopathic pedophilia, the current results support that all the lesions causing acquired pedophilia are localized within a shared resting state network that included posterior midlines structures, right inferior temporal gyrus and bilateral orbitofrontal cortex. These regions are associated with action inhibition and social cognition, abilities that are consistently and severely impaired in acquired pedophiles. This study suggests that idiopathic and acquired pedophilia may be two distinct disorders, in line with their distinctive clinical features, including age of onset, reversibility and modus operandi. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of pedophilic behavior may contribute to a more comprehensive characterization of these individuals on a clinical ground, a pivotal step forward for the development of more efficient therapeutic rehabilitation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 25131, Padova, PD, Italy. .,Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Livio Finos
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sarah Genon
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Laura Masiero
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Bortolato
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Camilla Cavaliere
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Jessica Pezzaioli
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Merylin Monaro
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 25131, Padova, PD, Italy
| | - Nicolò Navarin
- Department of Mathematics "Tullio Levi-Civita", University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Battaglia
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Pietro Pietrini
- Molecular Mind Lab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Stefano Ferracuti
- Department of Human Neurosciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 25131, Padova, PD, Italy
| | - Andrea S Camperio Ciani
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Thibaut F, Cosyns P, Fedoroff JP, Briken P, Goethals K, Bradford JMW. The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) 2020 guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of paraphilic disorders. World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:412-490. [PMID: 32452729 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2020.1744723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: The primary aim of these guidelines is to evaluate the role of pharmacological agents in the treatment and management of patients with paraphilic disorders, with a focus on the treatment of adult males. Because such treatments are not delivered in isolation, the role of specific psychotherapeutic interventions is also briefly covered. These guidelines are intended for use in clinical practice by clinicians who diagnose and treat patients, including sexual offenders, with paraphilic disorders. The aim of these guidelines is to bring together different views on the appropriate treatment of paraphilic disorders from experts representing different countries in order to aid physicians in clinical decisions and to improve the quality of care.Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted using the English-language-literature indexed on MEDLINE/PubMed (1990-2018 for SSRIs) (1969-2018 for hormonal treatments), supplemented by other sources, including published reviews.Results: Each treatment recommendation was evaluated and discussed with respect to the strength of evidence for its efficacy, safety, tolerability, and feasibility. The type of medication used depends on the severity of the paraphilic disorder and the respective risk of behaviour endangering others. GnRH analogue treatment constitutes the most relevant treatment for patients with severe paraphilic disorders.Conclusions: An algorithm is proposed with different levels of treatment for different categories of paraphilic disorders accompanied by different risk levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Thibaut
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictive Disorders, University Hospital Cochin, University of Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Paul Cosyns
- Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - John Paul Fedoroff
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, The Royal Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Peer Briken
- Institute for Sex Research, Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kris Goethals
- Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), University of Antwerp and University Forensic Centre, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - John M W Bradford
- The Royal Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, McMaster University, Ottawa & Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Camperio Ciani AS, Scarpazza C, Covelli V, Battaglia U. Profiling acquired pedophilic behavior: Retrospective analysis of 66 Italian forensic cases of pedophilia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW AND PSYCHIATRY 2019; 67:101508. [PMID: 31785728 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2019.101508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Neurological disorders can be mis-diagnosed as psychiatric ones. This might happen to pedophilia emerging as a symptom of brain insult (i.e. acquired pedophilic behavior). This paper aims to delineate a behavioral profile that might help to identify defendants whose pedophilic behavior is likely to be the consequence of a neurological disorder. Through a systematic review of the literature, seventeen clinical and behavioral variables of the modus operandi and victimology that can distinguish between acquired and developmental pedophilic behavior have been collected. Seven of these were found to be consistent behavioral indicators (i.e. red flags) for acquired pedophilia. Cluster hierarchical analysis on the seventeen variables collected through the systematic review of the literature on cases of acquired pedophilic behavior was applied to a new dataset including 66 Italian closed cases of pedophilia. Stepwise regression and correlation analyses were carried out to further examine the differences between the clusters identified in the cluster analysis. Results revealed that the new sample was partitioned into two clusters. Individuals with ascertained acquired pedophilia were grouped together. The clusters widely differed for the prevalence of red flags (mean number of red flags in each cluster: 2.14 ± 0.79 vs 4.96 ± 0.93, p < 0.001), while no between cluster difference emerged for the other clinical and behavioral variables. Regression analysis provided a robust model that included the three most significant red flags that explain over 64.5% of the variance (absence of masking, spontaneous confession and offenders older age). An organic origin of pedophilic behavior should be suspected if red flags are present in a defendant charged with pedophilia. In those cases, an in depth trans-disciplinary neuroscientific investigation is advocated. The behavioral profile identified might help to provide a proper assessment of defendants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Camperio Ciani
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | | | - Valeria Covelli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Battaglia
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Turner D, Briken P. Treatment of Paraphilic Disorders in Sexual Offenders or Men With a Risk of Sexual Offending With Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists: An Updated Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2019; 15:77-93. [PMID: 29289377 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Different pharmacologic agents are used in the treatment of paraphilic disorders in sexual offenders or men with a risk of sexual offending, with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists being the agents introduced more recently to treatment regimens. AIM To summarize the relevant literature concerning LHRH agonist treatment of paraphilic disorders in sexual offenders and update the previously published systematic review by Briken et al (J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64:890-897). METHODS The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for literature published from January 2003 through October 2017 using the following key words: LHRH agonists, GnRH agonists, antiandrogens AND paraphilia, pedophilia, sex offenders. OUTCOMES Evaluation of the effectiveness and side effects of LHRH agonist treatment of paraphilic disorders in sexual offenders. RESULTS After screening for duplicates and applying specific selection criteria, the search yielded 24 eligible studies reporting on a sample of 256 patients. There is increasing evidence that LHRH agonists are more effective than steroidal antiandrogens in lowering paraphilic sexual thoughts and behaviors. Current research also is based on methods that might be less susceptible to faking (eg, eye-tracking, brain imaging, and viewing-time measures). Side effects occurring most frequently are fatigue, hot flashes, depressive mood, weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, gynecomastia, loss of erectile function, and loss of bone mineral density. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Although LHRH agonists seem to be the most effective drugs in the treatment of paraphilic fantasies and behaviors, they should be reserved for patients with a paraphilic disorder and the highest risk of sexual offending because of their extensive side effects. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS This systematic review considers all types of research on LHRH agonist treatment in patients with paraphilic disorders, thereby providing a complete overview of the current state of research. However, most studies are case reports or observational studies and randomized controlled clinical trials have not been conducted or published. CONCLUSIONS LHRH agonists are a useful treatment when combined with psychotherapy in patients with a paraphilic disorder and the highest risk of sexual offending. However, throughout treatment, close monitoring of side effects is needed and ethical concerns must always be kept in mind. Turner D, Briken P. Treatment of Paraphilic Disorders in Sexual Offenders or Men With a Risk of Sexual Offending With Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists: An Updated Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2018;15:77-93.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Turner
- Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peer Briken
- Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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Is there an "antisocial" cerebellum? Evidence from disorders other than autism characterized by abnormal social behaviours. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:1-8. [PMID: 30153496 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum is a hindbrain structure which involvement in functions not related to motor control and planning is being increasingly recognized in the last decades. Studies on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have reported cerebellar involvement on these conditions characterized by social deficits and repetitive motor behavior patterns. Although such an involvement hints at a possible cerebellar participation in the social domain, the fact that ASD patients present both social and motor deficits impedes drawing any firm conclusion regarding cerebellar involvement in pathological social behaviours, probably influenced by the classical view of the cerebellum as a purely "motor" brain structure. Here, we suggest the cerebellum can be a key node for the production and control of normal and particularly aberrant social behaviours, as indicated by its involvement in other neuropsychiatric disorders which main symptom is deregulated social behaviour. Therefore, in this work, we briefly review cerebellar involvement in social behavior in rodent models, followed by discussing the findings linking the cerebellum to those other psychiatric conditions characterized by defective social behaviours. Finally, possible commonalities between the studies and putative underlying impaired functions will be discussed and experimental approaches both in patients and experimental animals will also be proposed, aimed at stimulating research on the role of the cerebellum in social behaviours and disorders characterized by social impairments, which, if successful, will definitely help reinforcing the proposed cerebellar involvement in the social domain.
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Babchishin KM, Seto MC, Fazel S, Långström N. Are There Early Risk Markers for Pedophilia? A Nationwide Case-Control Study of Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offenders. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2019; 56:203-212. [PMID: 30064261 PMCID: PMC6225987 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2018.1492694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Although prior research suggests associations between parental characteristics and later sexual offending in offspring, possible links between early pregnancy-related factors and sexual offending remain unclear. Early risk markers unique to sexual offending, however, may be more prominent among sexual offenders with atypical sexual interests, such as individuals involved with child sexual exploitation material (CSEM; also referred to as child pornography). We examined the prospective association between parental and pregnancy-related risk markers and a behavioral indicator of pedophilic interest, CSEM offending. All 655 men born in Sweden and convicted of CSEM offending between 1988 to 2009 were matched 1:5 on sex, birth year, and county of birth in Sweden to 3,928 controls without sexual or nonsexual violent convictions. Paternal age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.1, 1.7]), parental education (AOR = 0.8, 95% CI [0.6, 0.9]), parental violent criminality (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI [2.2, 3.8]), number of older brothers (AOR = 0.8, 95% CI [0.6, 0.9] per brother), and congenital malformations (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI [1.2, 2.4]) all independently predicted CSEM convictions. This large-scale, nationwide study suggests parental risk markers for CSEM offending. We did not, however, find convincing evidence for pregnancy-related risk markers, with the exception of congenital malformations and having fewer older brothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Babchishin
- a Forensic Research Unit, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research
| | - Michael C Seto
- a Forensic Research Unit, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research
| | - Seena Fazel
- b Department of Psychiatry , University of Oxford
| | - Niklas Långström
- c Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics , Karolinska Institute; and Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University
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Jordan K, Wild TSN, Fromberger P, Müller I, Müller JL. Are There Any Biomarkers for Pedophilia and Sexual Child Abuse? A Review. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:940. [PMID: 32038314 PMCID: PMC6985439 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of biomarkers in medicine is a common and valuable approach in several clinical fields. Understanding the relationship between measurable biological processes and clinical outcomes not only is indispensable in the face of understanding physiological processes in healthy as well as in diseased organisms but also for understanding and evaluating treatment effects. Therefore, also in the context of forensic psychiatry, biomarkers and their potentially beneficial effects are of growing interest. The objective of this review is to examine if there are biomarkers that may serve as a tool to support diagnostic process, treatment evaluation, and risk assessment of pedophilic individuals and child sexual offenders. In the first part, we present an overview of the current neurobiological, as well as physiological and psychophysiological approaches to characterize pedophilia and child sexual offending. Secondly, we discuss and evaluate the impact of these approaches on the development of biomarkers for diagnosis, therapy, and risk assessment in pedophilic subjects and child sexual offenders. We conclude that a lot of research has already enhanced our neurobiological knowledge about pedophilia and child sexual offending. Although there surely exist promising parameters and approaches, in our view currently none of these is ready yet to serve as a clinically applicable diagnostic, response, or predictive biomarker for pedophilia and child sexual offending. Therefore, further work remains to be done. The development of a composite diagnostic biomarker to assess deviant sexual interest, combining several measures like functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalogram, eye tracking, and behavioral approaches seems to be most promising. A valid and reliable measurement of deviant sexual interest, insensitive to manipulations could significantly support clinical diagnostic process. Similarly, regarding therapy evaluation and risk assessment, a composite biomarker to assess inhibitory control functions seems to be promising. Furthermore, the application of the Research Domain Criteria-approach, a new approach for investigating and classifying mental disorders, offers the possibility to take research to a new level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Jordan
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Tamara Sheila Nadine Wild
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Peter Fromberger
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Isabel Müller
- Asklepios Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Leo Müller
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Asklepios Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, Goettingen, Germany
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Attraction Versus Action in Pedophilic Desire: The Role of Personality Traits and Childhood Experience. J Psychiatr Pract 2018; 24:374-387. [PMID: 30395545 DOI: 10.1097/pra.0000000000000348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Comparison of pedophilic individuals who do and do not refrain from sexually engaging with children may offer critically important information regarding the differential contributors to pedophilic attraction versus behavior. This study compared 5 traits that are potentially contributory to pedophilic attraction or behavior in both minor-attracted persons (MAPs) who refrain from sexually engaging with minors (nonacting MAPs) and those who have acted on pedophilic attractions and subsequently entered the criminal justice system (forensic MAPs). METHODS Subjects included 195 nonacting MAPs, 50 forensic MAPs, and 60 healthy controls. Data on nonacting MAPs were drawn from an online survey, and data on the other 2 groups were based on prior in-person evaluations. Measures included the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the MAP Questionnaire, and the Sexual History Questionnaire (SHQ). RESULTS Both MAP groups scored higher than healthy controls on the domains of socially inhibited personality traits, propensity toward cognitive distortions, and subjects' own childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Forensic MAPs scored higher than nonacting MAPs on the CSA domain, but the 2 MAP groups differed little on the other 2 domains. Forensic MAPs also scored higher than the other 2 groups on the antisocial domain, whereas nonacting MAPs did not differ from controls on this measure. Nonacting MAPs scored higher than controls on impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS Antisocial personality traits may be a primary driver of pedophilic behavior that is unrelated to pedophilic attraction. Socially inhibited personality traits and propensity toward cognitive distortions are associated with pedophilic attraction, although the direction of causation is not clear. CSA seems to increase the risk of both attraction and behavior.
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Multimodal neuroimaging measures and intelligence influence pedophile child sexual offense behavior. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 28:818-827. [PMID: 29880336 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pedophilia is a heterogeneous disorder for which the neurobiological correlates are not well established. In particular, there are no biological markers identifying individuals with high risk to commit child sexual offense (CSO). Pedophiles with CSO (P+CSO; N = 73), pedophiles without CSO (P-CSO; N = 77), and non-pedophilic controls (NPC; N = 133) were assessed using multimodal structural neuroimaging measures including: cortical thickness (CT), surface area (SA), and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), as well as full scale IQ (FSIQ) performance. Cortex-wise mediation analyses were used to assess the relationships among brain structure, FSIQ and CSO behavior. Lower FSIQ performance was strongly predict with P+CSO (Wald Chi2 = 13.0, p = 3.1 × 10-5). P+CSO had lower CT in the right motor cortex and pronounced reductions in SA spanning the bilateral frontal, temporal, cingulate, and insular regions (PFWE-corrected < 0.05). P+CSO also had lower FA particularly in the corpus callosum (PFWE-corrected < 0.05). The relationship between SA and P+CSO was significantly mediated by FSIQ, particularly in the prefrontal and anterior insular cortices (PFWE-corrected < 0.05). Within P+CSO, left prefrontal and right anterior cingulate SA negatively correlated with number of CSOs (PFWE-corrected < 0.05). This study demonstrates converging neurobiological findings in which P+CSO had lower FSIQ performance, reduced CT, reduced SA, and reduced FA, compared to P-CSO as well as NPC. Further, FSIQ potentially mediates abuse by pedophiles via aberrant SA, whereas the CT and FA associations were independent of FSIQ differences. These findings suggest aberrant neuroanatomy and lower intelligence as a potential core feature underlying child sexual abuse behavior by pedophiles.
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Jones S, Cisler J, Morais H, Bai S. Exploring Neural Correlates of Empathy in Juveniles Who Have Sexually Offended. SEXUAL ABUSE : A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2018; 30:82-103. [PMID: 26880789 DOI: 10.1177/1079063216630980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
To effectively address the needs of youth who perpetrate sexual violence and reduce rates of recidivism, a better understanding of the mechanisms of juvenile sexual offending is needed. Current literature identifies various factors that are believed to put youth at risk for sexual offending, two of which are empathy deficits and childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The extent to which empathy deficits contribute to juvenile sexual offending, however, is often debated, though studies have not yet explored a neurobehavioral model of this mechanism. This pilot study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the neural correlates of empathy in juveniles who sexually offend (JSOs), and the possible role of CSA. A total of 38 males (ages 12-20) were enrolled, including 11 healthy control subjects and 27 JSOs, of which, 11 had a history of CSA. Participants underwent clinical assessment and completed an empathy task during fMRI. Using both whole-brain and region-of-interest analysis, results of the fMRI data showed no statistical differences in engagement of brain regions associated with empathy between controls and all JSOs. There were also no significant differences between JSOs with and without a history of CSA. These null findings pose implications for guiding future research studies with larger samples and more statistical power, and may support the need to further explore empathy-related explanatory models and interventions for JSOs. Neuroimaging may demonstrate to be a useful tool to identify individualized risk factors and aid in tailoring interventions for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jones
- 1 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Josh Cisler
- 1 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Hugo Morais
- 1 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Shasha Bai
- 1 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
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Ristow I, Li M, Colic L, Marr V, Födisch C, von Düring F, Schiltz K, Drumkova K, Witzel J, Walter H, Beier K, Kruger THC, Ponseti J, Schiffer B, Walter M. Pedophilic sex offenders are characterised by reduced GABA concentration in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:335-341. [PMID: 29876253 PMCID: PMC5987735 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A pedophilic disorder is characterised by abnormal sexual urges towards prepubescent children. Child abusive behavior is frequently a result of lack of behavioral inhibition and current treatment options entail, next to suppressing unchangeable sexual orientation, measures to increase cognitive and attentional control. We tested, if in brain regions subserving attentional control of behavior and perception of salient stimuli, such inhibition deficit can be observed also on the level of inhibitory neurotransmitters. We measured GABA concentration in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and in a control region, the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) in pedophilic sex offenders (N = 13) and matched controls (N = 13) using a 7 Tesla STEAM magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). In dACC but not in the control region pedophilic sex offenders showed reduced GABA/Cr concentrations compared to healthy controls. The reduction was robust after controlling for potential influence of age and gray matter proportion within the MRS voxel (p < 0.04). Importantly, reduced GABA/Cr in patients was correlated with lower self-control measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (p = 0.028, r = -0.689). In a region related to cognitive control and salience mapping, pedophilic sex offenders showed reduction of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA which may be seen as a neuronal correlate of inhibition and behavioral control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inka Ristow
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Insitute for Neurobiology, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Meng Li
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lejla Colic
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Insitute for Neurobiology, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Marr
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Insitute for Neurobiology, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Carina Födisch
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Insitute for Neurobiology, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Felicia von Düring
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Insitute for Neurobiology, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kolja Schiltz
- Section of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Krasimira Drumkova
- Forensic Psychiatric State Hospital of Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal-Uchtspringe, Germany
| | - Joachim Witzel
- Forensic Psychiatric State Hospital of Saxony-Anhalt, Stendal-Uchtspringe, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Beier
- Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tillmann H C Kruger
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jorge Ponseti
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, Essen, Germany; LWL-University Hospital, Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Insitute for Neurobiology, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen, Germany.
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23
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Ponseti J, Bruhn D, Nolting J, Gerwinn H, Pohl A, Stirn A, Granert O, Laufs H, Deuschl G, Wolff S, Jansen O, Siebner H, Briken P, Mohnke S, Amelung T, Kneer J, Schiffer B, Walter H, Kruger THC. Decoding Pedophilia: Increased Anterior Insula Response to Infant Animal Pictures. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 11:645. [PMID: 29403367 PMCID: PMC5778266 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research found increased brain responses of men with sexual interest in children (i.e., pedophiles) not only to pictures of naked children but also to pictures of child faces. This opens the possibly that pedophilia is linked (in addition to or instead of an aberrant sexual system) to an over-active nurturing system. To test this hypothesis we exposed pedophiles and healthy controls to pictures of infant and adult animals during functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. By using pictures of infant animals (instead of human infants), we aimed to elicit nurturing processing without triggering sexual processing. We hypothesized that elevated brain responses to nurturing stimuli will be found - in addition to other brain areas - in the anterior insula of pedophiles because this area was repeatedly found to be activated when adults see pictures of babies. Behavioral ratings confirmed that pictures of infant or adult animals were not perceived as sexually arousing neither by the pedophilic participants nor by the heathy controls. Statistical analysis was applied to the whole brain as well as to the anterior insula as region of interest. Only in pedophiles did infants relative to adult animals increase brain activity in the anterior insula, supplementary motor cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal areas. Within-group analysis revealed an increased brain response to infant animals in the left anterior insular cortex of the pedophilic participants. Currently, pedophilia is considered the consequence of disturbed sexual or executive brain processing, but details are far from known. The present findings raise the question whether there is also an over-responsive nurturing system in pedophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Ponseti
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniel Bruhn
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Julia Nolting
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hannah Gerwinn
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alexander Pohl
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Aglaja Stirn
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Oliver Granert
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Helmut Laufs
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Günther Deuschl
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stephan Wolff
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Olav Jansen
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hartwig Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peer Briken
- Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Mohnke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Amelung
- Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Kneer
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Section of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tillmann H. C. Kruger
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Section of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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24
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Pedophilia (P) is a psychiatric disease associated with sexual attraction toward children and often accompanied by child sexual offending (CSO). Consequently, it is important to address the understanding of executive dysfunctions that may increase the probability of CSO. Moreover, this research field has been lacking to disentangle executive deficits associated with pedophilia (as a deviant sexual preference) from those associated with CSO (as a deviant sexual behavior). METHODS The German multi-sided research network NeMUP offers the opportunity to overcome these limitations. By applying the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery in four carefully matched groups of men: (1) pedophiles with (N=45) and (2) without (N=45) a history of sexual offending against children; (3) child molesters without pedophilia (N=19), and (4) non-offending controls (N=49), we were able to analyze executive functioning in pedophilia and CSO independently. RESULTS Both CSO groups as compared to both non-CSO groups exhibited worsened response inhibition ability. However, only non-pedophilic offenders showed additionally disabled strategy use ability. Regarding set-shifting abilities, the P+CSO group showed the best performance. We also found that performances were affected by age: only in pedophiles, response inhibition worsened with age, while age-related deficits in set-shifting abilities were restricted to non-pedophilic participants. The latter also differentiated between both sexual preference groups. CONCLUSIONS Our results are the first to demonstrate that executive dysfunctions are related to offense status rather than pedophilic preference. Furthermore, there was evidence for differentiating age and performance correlations between pedophiles and non-pedophiles, which warrants further investigation. (JINS, 2017, 23, 460-470).
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25
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Schiffer B, Amelung T, Pohl A, Kaergel C, Tenbergen G, Gerwinn H, Mohnke S, Massau C, Matthias W, Weiß S, Marr V, Beier KM, Walter M, Ponseti J, Krüger THC, Schiltz K, Walter H. Gray matter anomalies in pedophiles with and without a history of child sexual offending. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1129. [PMID: 28509903 PMCID: PMC5534964 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder that is inter-related with but distinct from child sexual offending (CSO). Neural alterations reportedly contribute to both pedophilia and CSO, but until now, no study has distinguished the brain structural anomalies associated with pedophilia from those specifically associated with CSO in pedophilic men. Using high-resolution T1-weighted brain images and voxel-based morphometry, we analyzed the gray matter (GM) volume of the following 219 men recruited at four acquisition sites in Germany: 58 pedophiles with a history of CSO, 60 pedophiles without any history of CSO and 101 non-pedophilic, non-offending controls to control for the effects of age, education level, verbal IQ, sexual orientation and the acquisition site. Although there were no differences in the relative GM volume of the brain specifically associated with pedophilia, statistical parametric maps revealed a highly significant and CSO-related pattern of above vs below the 'normal' GM volume in the right temporal pole, with non-offending pedophiles exhibiting larger volumes than offending pedophiles. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that the lower GM volume of the dorsomedial prefrontal or anterior cingulate cortex was associated with a higher risk of re-offending in pedophilic child molesters. We believe our data provide the first evidence that CSO in pedophilia rather than pedophilia alone is associated with GM anomalies and thus shed new light on the results of previous studies on this topic. These results indicate the need for new neurobehavioral theories on pedophilia and CSO and may be potentially useful for treatment or prevention approaches that aim to reduce the risk of (re)offending in pedophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - T Amelung
- Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Pohl
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - C Kaergel
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - G Tenbergen
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Hannover, Germany
| | - H Gerwinn
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - S Mohnke
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - C Massau
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - W Matthias
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Hannover, Germany
| | - S Weiß
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - V Marr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - K M Beier
- Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Walter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department for Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - J Ponseti
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - T H C Krüger
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Hannover, Germany
| | - K Schiltz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - H Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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26
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Cantor JM, Lafaille SJ, Hannah J, Kucyi A, Soh DW, Girard TA, Mikulis DJ. Independent Component Analysis of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pedophiles. J Sex Med 2017; 13:1546-54. [PMID: 27641922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuroimaging and other studies have changed the common view that pedophilia is a result of childhood sexual abuse and instead is a neurologic phenomenon with prenatal origins. Previous research has identified differences in the structural connectivity of the brain in pedophilia. AIM To identify analogous differences in functional connectivity. METHODS Functional magnetic resonance images were recorded from three groups of participants while they were at rest: pedophilic men with a history of sexual offenses against children (n = 37) and two control groups: non-pedophilic men who committed non-sexual offenses (n = 28) and non-pedophilic men with no criminal history (n = 39). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were subjected to independent component analysis to identify known functional networks of the brain, and groups were compared to identify differences in connectivity with those networks (or "components"). RESULTS The pedophilic group demonstrated wide-ranging increases in functional connectivity with the default mode network compared with controls and regional differences (increases and decreases) with the frontoparietal network. Of these brain regions (total = 23), 20 have been identified by meta-analytic studies to respond to sexually relevant stimuli. Conversely, of the brain areas known to be those that respond to sexual stimuli, nearly all emerged in the present data as significantly different in pedophiles. CONCLUSION This study confirms the presence of significant differences in the functional connectivity of the brain in pedophilia consistent with previously reported differences in structural connectivity. The connectivity differences detected here and elsewhere are opposite in direction from those associated with anti-sociality, arguing against anti-sociality and for pedophilia as the source of the neuroanatomic differences detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Cantor
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Complex Mental Illness Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - S J Lafaille
- Complex Mental Illness Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J Hannah
- Complex Mental Illness Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - A Kucyi
- Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D W Soh
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - T A Girard
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D J Mikulis
- Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Jones S, Joyal CC, Cisler JM, Bai S. Exploring Emotion Regulation in Juveniles Who Have Sexually Offended: An fMRI Study. JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 2017; 26:40-57. [PMID: 27997290 DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2016.1259280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This exploratory study compared juveniles who sexually offend to nonoffending juveniles in their capacities to behaviorally and neurologically regulate, or reappraise, negative emotions. Participants were 39 juvenile males, including 10 healthy, nonoffending control subjects and 29 juveniles who sexually offend, comprising 12 juveniles who sexually offend with history of child sexual abuse. Participants completed a clinical assessment and a reappraisal task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale results showed significantly less difficulties in emotion regulation among controls compared to juveniles who sexually offend, but when self-rating reappraisal abilities during the functional magnetic resonance imaging, all groups obtained comparable results. The imaging results showed no significant differences in fronto-temporal regions between controls and juveniles who sexually offend. Differences were found in other regions indicated in cognitive control, working memory, and emotional processing between controls and juveniles who sexually offend as well as between juveniles who sexually offend and those without history of child sexual abuse. Findings suggest that juveniles who sexually offend are capable of emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jones
- a College of Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Little Rock , Arkansas , USA
| | - Christian C Joyal
- b Department of Psychology , University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres , Quebec , Canada
- c The Institute Philippe-Pinel of Montreal , Montreal , Canada
| | - Josh M Cisler
- d Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Little Rock , Arkansas
| | - Shasha Bai
- e Department of Pediatrics , University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Little Rock , Arkansas
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28
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Shrivastava AK, Karia SB, Sonavane SS, De Sousa AA. Child sexual abuse and the development of psychiatric disorders: a neurobiological trajectory of pathogenesis. Ind Psychiatry J 2017; 26:4-12. [PMID: 29456314 PMCID: PMC5810166 DOI: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_38_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an important public health problem with long-standing neurobiological, developmental, and psychiatric abnormalities. The present review analyzes the long-term effects of CSA from a developmental, psychiatric morbidity, neurochemical and neurobiological perspective and then tries to posit a developmental neurobiological trajectory from CSA to the genesis of psychopathology in later life. The role of various neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine affected by CSA are discussed. Serotonin abnormalities have been reported in various studies among participants exposed to CSA. Structures such as the prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, corpus callosum, parietal lobes, hippocampus, and cerebellum all demonstrate volumetric and structural changes in response to the trauma of CSA. Neurocognitive studies demonstrate memory and spatial awareness as well as decrements in general cognitive performance and memory when compared to normal individuals. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis has also been implicated in CSA, and there is an alteration in corticotropin-releasing hormone response due to the continuous cumulative trauma of CSA. This paper also reviews a section on the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in the development of psychiatric disorders as a result of exposure to episodes of CSA where studies have demonstrated changes in DNA methylation in response to CSA. This review tries to hypothesize a developmental trajectory framework which is individual for every case where exposure to CSA may lead to psychopathology and psychiatric morbidity later in life. Rapid and emerging fields such as developmental traumatology in relation to CSA are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amresh K. Shrivastava
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada
| | - Sagar B. Karia
- Department of Psychiatry, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sushma S. Sonavane
- Department of Psychiatry, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Avinash A. De Sousa
- Department of Psychiatry, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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29
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Azizian A, Hutton S, Hughes D, Sreenivasan S. Cognitional Impairment: Is There a Role for Cognitive Assessment in the Treatment of Individuals Civilly Committed Pursuant to the Sexually Violent Predator Act? SEXUAL ABUSE : A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2016; 28:755-769. [PMID: 25698358 DOI: 10.1177/1079063215570757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Sexually Violent Predator statutes allow the involuntary treatment of individuals who are found to pose a threat to public safety. Most sex offender treatment programs rely on cognitive interventions to reduce the risk of recidivism. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) whether individuals with paraphilia diagnoses have cognitive deficits compared with the general population; (b) whether individuals diagnosed with pedophilia differed on cognitive performance when compared with individuals diagnosed with paraphilia not otherwise specified (NOS), nonconsent; and (c) whether individuals with paraphilia plus antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) differed in cognitive performance when compared with individuals with a paraphilia diagnosis only. The sample consisted of 170 males (M age = 50.21; SD = 10.22) diagnosed with pedophilia or paraphilia NOS, nonconsent, who were detained or civilly committed to a forensic psychiatric hospital. Assessments included Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), and Wide Range Achievement Test 4 (WRAT4). Individuals diagnosed with pedophilia and paraphilia NOS, nonconsent, obtained lower scores than matched controls based on the RBANS Immediate Memory, Visuospatial/Constructional, Delayed Memory indices and Total Score. In comparison with individuals with paraphilia NOS, nonconsent, those with pedophilia diagnosis had lower scores on the RBANS Delayed Memory. Individuals diagnosed with a paraphilia disorder combined with ASPD demonstrated trends toward lower IQ scores than those with a paraphilia diagnosis only. Treatment programs can improve their chance of success by assessment of cognitive processes, and offer therapy in a style that is consistent with the cognitive abilities of their clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen Azizian
- California Department of State Hospitals, Coalinga, CA, USA
- California State University, Fresno, CA, USA
| | | | - Doriann Hughes
- California Department of State Hospitals, Coalinga, CA, USA
| | - Shoba Sreenivasan
- Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System Forensic Outreach Services, CA, USA
- Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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30
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Kärgel C, Massau C, Weiß S, Walter M, Borchardt V, Krueger THC, Tenbergen G, Kneer J, Wittfoth M, Pohl A, Gerwinn H, Ponseti J, Amelung T, Beier KM, Mohnke S, Walter H, Schiffer B. Evidence for superior neurobiological and behavioral inhibitory control abilities in non-offending as compared to offending pedophiles. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:1092-1104. [PMID: 27767244 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurobehavioral models of pedophilia and child sexual offending suggest a pattern of temporal and in particular prefrontal disturbances leading to inappropriate behavioral control and subsequently an increased propensity to sexually offend against children. However, clear empirical evidence for such mechanisms is still missing. Using a go/nogo paradigm in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we compared behavioral performance and neural response patterns among three groups of men matched for age and IQ: pedophiles with (N = 40) and without (N = 37) a history of hands-on sexual offences against children as well as healthy non-offending controls (N = 40). As compared to offending pedophiles, non-offending pedophiles exhibited superior inhibitory control as reflected by significantly lower rate of commission errors. Group-by-condition interaction analysis also revealed inhibition-related activation in the left posterior cingulate and the left superior frontal cortex that distinguished between offending and non-offending pedophiles, while no significant differences were found between pedophiles and healthy controls. Both areas showing distinct activation pattern among pedophiles play a critical role in linking neural networks that relate to effective cognitive functioning. Data therefore suggest that heightened inhibition-related recruitment of these areas as well as decreased amount of commission errors is related to better inhibitory control in pedophiles who successfully avoid committing hands-on sexual offences against children. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1092-1104, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kärgel
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, Bochum, 44791, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany
| | - Claudia Massau
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, Bochum, 44791, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany
| | - Simone Weiß
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto v. Guericke University, Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany.,Department for Behavioral Neurology, Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tübingen, Osianderstr. 24, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Viola Borchardt
- Department for Behavioral Neurology, Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
| | - Tillmann H C Krueger
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Gilian Tenbergen
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Jonas Kneer
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Matthias Wittfoth
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Alexander Pohl
- Department for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Christian-Albrechts Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Hannah Gerwinn
- Department for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Christian-Albrechts Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Jorge Ponseti
- Department for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Christian-Albrechts Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Till Amelung
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité), Luisenstr. 57, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - Klaus M Beier
- Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité), Luisenstr. 57, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - Sebastian Mohnke
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Berlin (Charité), Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Berlin (Charité), Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, Bochum, 44791, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany
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31
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Ponseti J, Granert O, Van Eimeren T, Jansen O, Wolff S, Beier K, Deuschl G, Huchzermeier C, Stirn A, Bosinski H, Roman Siebner H. Assessing paedophilia based on the haemodynamic brain response to face images. World J Biol Psychiatry 2016; 17:39-46. [PMID: 26452682 DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2015.1083612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Objective assessment of sexual preferences may be of relevance in the treatment and prognosis of child sexual offenders. Previous research has indicated that this can be achieved by pattern classification of brain responses to sexual child and adult images. Our recent research showed that human face processing is tuned to sexual age preferences. This observation prompted us to test whether paedophilia can be inferred based on the haemodynamic brain responses to adult and child faces. METHODS Twenty-four men sexually attracted to prepubescent boys or girls (paedophiles) and 32 men sexually attracted to men or women (teleiophiles) were exposed to images of child and adult, male and female faces during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session. RESULTS A cross-validated, automatic pattern classification algorithm of brain responses to facial stimuli yielded four misclassified participants (three false positives), corresponding to a specificity of 91% and a sensitivity of 95%. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that the functional response to facial stimuli can be reliably used for fMRI-based classification of paedophilia, bypassing the problem of showing child sexual stimuli to paedophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Ponseti
- a Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | - Oliver Granert
- b Department of Neurology , Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | - Thilo Van Eimeren
- b Department of Neurology , Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | - Olav Jansen
- c Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology , Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | - Stephan Wolff
- c Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology , Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | - Klaus Beier
- d Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin , Berlin , Germany
| | - Günther Deuschl
- b Department of Neurology , Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | - Christian Huchzermeier
- a Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | - Aglaja Stirn
- a Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany
| | | | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- b Department of Neurology , Kiel University, Medical School , Kiel , Germany.,f Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre , Hvidovre , Denmark.,g Department of Neurology , Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg , Bispebjerg , Denmark
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Should Sexual Offending Be Considered an Addiction? Implications for Prevention and Treatment Approaches. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-016-0120-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Knott V, Impey D, Fisher D, Delpero E, Fedoroff P. Pedophilic brain potential responses to adult erotic stimuli. Brain Res 2015; 1632:127-40. [PMID: 26683083 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive mechanisms associated with the relative lack of sexual interest in adults by pedophiles are poorly understood and may benefit from investigations examining how the brain processes adult erotic stimuli. The current study used event-related brain potentials (ERP) to investigate the time course of the explicit processing of erotic, emotional, and neutral pictures in 22 pedophilic patients and 22 healthy controls. Consistent with previous studies, early latency anterior ERP components were highly selective for erotic pictures. Although the ERPs elicited by emotional stimuli were similar in patients and controls, an early frontal positive (P2) component starting as early as 185 ms was significantly attenuated and slow to onset in pedophilia, and correlated with a clinical measure of cognitive distortions. Failure of rapid attentional capture by erotic stimuli suggests a relative reduction in early processing in pedophilic patients which may be associated with relatively diminished sexual interest in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verner Knott
- Clinical Neuroelectrophysiology and Cognitive Research Laboratory, University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Danielle Impey
- Clinical Neuroelectrophysiology and Cognitive Research Laboratory, University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Derek Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Emily Delpero
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Paul Fedoroff
- Forensic Research Unit, University of Ottawa, Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Cantor JM, Lafaille S, Soh DW, Moayedi M, Mikulis DJ, Girard TA. Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Pedophilia. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2015; 44:2161-2172. [PMID: 26494360 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-015-0629-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pedophilia is a principal motivator of child molestation, incurring great emotional and financial burdens on victims and society. Even among pedophiles who never commit any offense,the condition requires lifelong suppression and control. Previous comparison using voxel-based morphometry (VBM)of MR images from a large sample of pedophiles and controls revealed group differences in white matter. The present study therefore sought to verify and characterize white matter involvement using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which better captures the microstructure of white matter than does VBM. Pedophilics ex offenders (n=24) were compared with healthy, age-matched controls with no criminal record and no indication of pedophilia (n=32). White matter microstructure was analyzed with Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, and the trajectories of implicated fiber bundles were identified by probabilistic tractography. Groups showed significant, highly focused differences in DTI parameters which related to participants’ genital responses to sexual depictions of children, but not to measures of psychopathy or to childhood histories of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. Some previously reported gray matter differences were suggested under highly liberal statistical conditions (p(uncorrected)<.005), but did not survive ordinary statistical correction (whole brain per voxel false discovery rate of 5%). These results confirm that pedophilia is characterized by neuroanatomical differences in white matter microstructure, over and above any neural characteristics attributable to psychopathy and childhood adversity, which show neuroanatomic footprints of their own. Although some gray matter structures were implicated previously, only few have emerged reliably.
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Gerwinn H, Pohl A, Granert O, van Eimeren T, Wolff S, Jansen O, Deuschl G, Huchzermeier C, Stirn A, Siebner HR, Ponseti J. The (in)consistency of changes in brain macrostructure in male paedophiles: A combined T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging study. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 68:246-53. [PMID: 26228426 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Thus far, four studies have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to test for differences in brain structure between paedophilic (i.e. sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children) and teleiophilic (i.e. sexually attracted to adults) men, revealing divergent results. To re-examine this issue, we acquired high resolution structural T1-weighted and diffusion MRI scans of the brain in 24 paedophilic and 32 teleiophilic men. We performed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of the T1-weighted images and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) of the diffusion tensor imaging data to search for grey and white matter differences between groups. In contrast to previous studies, less than half of the individuals in our paedophilic group had a record of sexual offences against children, as subjects were partially recruited from two outpatient facilities of a child sexual abuse prevention project for self-acknowledged paedophiles. After adjustment for multiple comparisons and controlling for important confounding factors, we did not find any significant grey or white matter differences between the paedophilic and teleiophilic subjects. Together with the inconsistencies in the literature, these results argue against consistent structural differences at the macroanatomical scale between paedophiles and teleiophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Gerwinn
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Alexander Pohl
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Oliver Granert
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thilo van Eimeren
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stephan Wolff
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Kiel University, Medical School, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Olav Jansen
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Kiel University, Medical School, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Günther Deuschl
- Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Medical School, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Huchzermeier
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Aglaja Stirn
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegaard Allé 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jorge Ponseti
- Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, 24105, Kiel, Germany
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Abstract
The neuroanatomical correlates of human sexual desire, arousal, and behavior have been characterized in recent years with functional brain imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Here, we briefly review the results of functional neuroimaging studies in humans, whether healthy or suffering from sexual disorders, and the current models of regional and network activation in sexual arousal. Attention is paid, in particular, to findings from both regional and network studies in the past 3 years. We also identify yet unanswered and pressing questions of interest to areas of ongoing investigations for psychiatric, scientific, and forensic disciplines.
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Glahn A, Prell T, Grosskreutz J, Peschel T, Müller-Vahl KR. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a heterogeneous disorder: evidence from diffusion tensor imaging and magnetization transfer imaging. BMC Psychiatry 2015; 15:135. [PMID: 26109055 PMCID: PMC4479088 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0535-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) propose abnormalities of cortico-striatal circuits that involve the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus and the striatum. Nevertheless, during the last years, results of morphometric studies were contradictory. Since fully automated whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are used to assess structural changes in OCD patients, increased consistent evidence has been reported that brain abnormalities are not limited exclusively to the "affective" orbitofronto-striatal circuit. Moreover, several studies conducted using a symptom dimensional approach demonstrated that different symptoms are mediated by distinct neural systems. METHOD We investigated structural brain abnormalities in 14 carefully selected adult (≥18 years), male and unmedicated patients with OCD - separately for obsession and compulsion scores (Y-BOCS) - compared to 20 healthy controls as reflected according to white matter changes by fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient. Moreover, this is the first study in OCD patients, using magnetization transfer imaging (MTI). This method is said to be more sensitive to subtle structural brain changes than conventional volumetric imaging. RESULTS In our study, we show a positive correlation between MTR and Y-BOCS obsession scores with an increased integrity of tissue structure in the parietal cortex, including myelination and axonal density reflected by the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) which was used for the first time in our study. Furthermore, Y-BOCS scores for compulsions correlated negatively with ADC-maps in the left nucleus lentiformis and the cingulum. CONCLUSION The results support the hypothesis that OCD is a heterogeneous disorder with distinct neural correlates across symptom dimensions and call for a substantial revision of such a model that takes into account the heterogeneity of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Tino Prell
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany.
| | | | - Thomas Peschel
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Kirsten R. Müller-Vahl
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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Tenbergen G, Wittfoth M, Frieling H, Ponseti J, Walter M, Walter H, Beier KM, Schiffer B, Kruger THC. The Neurobiology and Psychology of Pedophilia: Recent Advances and Challenges. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:344. [PMID: 26157372 PMCID: PMC4478390 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A pedophilic disorder is recognized for its impairment to the individual and for the harm it may cause to others. Pedophilia is often considered a side issue and research into the nature of pedophilia is delayed in comparison to research into other psychiatric disorders. However, with the increasing use of neuroimaging techniques, such as functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI, fMRI), together with neuropsychological studies, we are increasing our knowledge of predisposing and accompanying factors contributing to pedophilia development. At the same time, we are faced with methodological challenges, such as group differences between studies, including age, intelligence, and comorbidities, together with a lack of careful assessment and control of child sexual abuse. Having this in mind, this review highlights the most important studies investigating pedophilia, with a strong emphasis on (neuro-) biological studies, combined with a brief explanation of research into normal human sexuality. We focus on some of the recent theories on the etiology of pedophilia such as the concept of a general neurodevelopmental disorder and/or alterations of structure and function in frontal, temporal, and limbic brain areas. With this approach, we aim to not only provide an update and overview but also a framework for future research and to address one of the most significant questions of how pedophilia may be explained by neurobiological and developmental alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilian Tenbergen
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany
| | - Matthias Wittfoth
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany
| | - Helge Frieling
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany
| | - Jorge Ponseti
- Department of Sexual Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein , Kiel , Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Medical Faculty University Hospital Magdeburg , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Charité - University Clinic Berlin , Berlin , Germany
| | - Klaus M Beier
- Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - University Clinic Berlin , Berlin , Germany
| | - Boris Schiffer
- Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum , Bochum , Germany
| | - Tillmann H C Kruger
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany
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Poeppl TB, Eickhoff SB, Fox PT, Laird AR, Rupprecht R, Langguth B, Bzdok D. Connectivity and functional profiling of abnormal brain structures in pedophilia. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:2374-86. [PMID: 25733379 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 01/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its 0.5-1% lifetime prevalence in men and its general societal relevance, neuroimaging investigations in pedophilia are scarce. Preliminary findings indicate abnormal brain structure and function. However, no study has yet linked structural alterations in pedophiles to both connectional and functional properties of the aberrant hotspots. The relationship between morphological alterations and brain function in pedophilia as well as their contribution to its psychopathology thus remain unclear. First, we assessed bimodal connectivity of structurally altered candidate regions using meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and resting-state correlations employing openly accessible data. We compared the ensuing connectivity maps to the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) maps of a recent quantitative meta-analysis of brain activity during processing of sexual stimuli. Second, we functionally characterized the structurally altered regions employing meta-data of a large-scale neuroimaging database. Candidate regions were functionally connected to key areas for processing of sexual stimuli. Moreover, we found that the functional role of structurally altered brain regions in pedophilia relates to nonsexual emotional as well as neurocognitive and executive functions, previously reported to be impaired in pedophiles. Our results suggest that structural brain alterations affect neural networks for sexual processing by way of disrupted functional connectivity, which may entail abnormal sexual arousal patterns. The findings moreover indicate that structural alterations account for common affective and neurocognitive impairments in pedophilia. The present multimodal integration of brain structure and function analyses links sexual and nonsexual psychopathology in pedophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timm B Poeppl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Kärgel C, Massau C, Weiß S, Walter M, Kruger THC, Schiffer B. Diminished functional connectivity on the road to child sexual abuse in pedophilia. J Sex Med 2015; 12:783-95. [PMID: 25615561 DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pedophilia is a disorder recognized for its impairment to the individual and for the harm it may cause to others. However, the neurobiology of pedophilia and a possible propensity to sexually abuse children are not well understood. In this study, we thus aimed at providing new insights in how functional integration of brain regions may relate to pedophilia or child sexual abuse (CSA). METHOD By using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique, we compared functional connectivity at rest (RSFC) between pedophiles who engaged (P+CSA; N = 12) or did not engage (P-CSA; N = 14) in CSA and healthy controls (HCs; N = 14) within two networks: (i) the default mode network and (ii) the limbic network that has been linked to pedophilia before. RESULTS Pedophiles who engaged in CSA show diminished RSFC in both networks compared with HC and P-CSA. Most importantly, they showed diminished RSFC between the left amygdala and orbitofrontal as well as anterior prefrontal regions. Though significant age differences between groups could not be avoided, correlation control analysis did not provide evidence for the assumption that the RSFC effects were related to age differences. CONCLUSION We found significantly diminished RSFC in brain networks critically involved in widespread motivational and socio-emotional processes. These results extend existing models of the functional neuroanatomy of pedophilia and CSA as altered RSFC between these regions were related to CSA rather than pedophilia and thus may account for an increased propensity to engage in CSA in people suffering from pedophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kärgel
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-Clinics Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Gilbert F, Focquaert F. Rethinking responsibility in offenders with acquired paedophilia: punishment or treatment? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW AND PSYCHIATRY 2015; 38:51-60. [PMID: 25725545 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2015.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This article reviews the current neurobiological literature on the aetiology of developmental and acquired paedophilia and examines what the consequences could be in terms of responsibility and treatment for the latter. Addressing the question of responsibility and punishment of offenders with acquired paedophilia from a neurobiological perspective is controversial. Consequently it is essential to avoid hasty conclusions based strictly on neurobiological abnormality justifications. This study establishes a distinction between developmental and acquired paedophilia. The article investigates whether offenders who fulfil the diagnosis of acquired paedophilia should be held fully responsible, particularly in cases where the offender's conduct appears to result from volitionally controlled behaviour that is seemingly incompatible with a neurological cause. Moreover, the article explores how responsibility can be compromised when offenders with acquired paedophilia have (partially) preserved moral knowledge despite their sexual disorder. The article then examines the option of offering mandatory treatment as an alternative to imprisonment for offenders with acquired paedophilia. Furthermore, the article addresses the ethical issues related to offering any form of quasi-coercive treatment as a condition of release. This study concludes that decisions to fully or partially excuse an individual who fulfil the diagnosis of acquired paedophilia should take all relevant information into account, both neurobiological and other environmental evidence, and should proceed on a careful case by case analysis before sentencing or offering treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Gilbert
- Ethics, Policy & Public Engagement (EPPE) ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Faculty of Arts, University of Tasmania, Australia. https://sites.google.com/site/fredericgilbertt/home
| | - Farah Focquaert
- Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
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Mohnke S, Müller S, Amelung T, Krüger TH, Ponseti J, Schiffer B, Walter M, Beier KM, Walter H. Brain alterations in paedophilia: A critical review. Prog Neurobiol 2014; 122:1-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2014.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Habermeyer B, Esposito F, Händel N, Lemoine P, Kuhl HC, Klarhöfer M, Mager R, Mokros A, Dittmann V, Seifritz E, Graf M. Response inhibition in pedophilia: an FMRI pilot study. Neuropsychobiology 2014; 68:228-37. [PMID: 24247250 DOI: 10.1159/000355295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The failure to inhibit pleasurable but inappropriate urges is associated with frontal lobe pathology and has been suggested as a possible cause of pedophilic behavior. However, imaging and neuropsychological findings about frontal pathology in pedophilia are heterogeneous. In our study we therefore address inhibition behaviorally and by means of functional imaging, aiming to assess how inhibition in pedophilia is related to a differential recruitment of frontal brain areas. METHOD Eleven pedophilic subjects and 7 nonpedophilic controls underwent fMRI while performing a go/no-go task composed of neutral letters. RESULTS Pedophilic subjects showed a slower reaction time and less accurate visual target discrimination. fMRI voxel-level ANOVA revealed as a main effect of the go/no-go task an activation of prefrontal and parietal brain regions in the no-go condition, while the left anterior cingulate, precuneus and gyrus angularis became more activated in the go condition. In addition, a group × task interaction was found in the left precuneus and gyrus angularis. This interaction was based on an attenuated deactivation of these brain regions in the pedophilic group during performance of the no-go condition. The positive correlation between blood oxygen level-dependent imaging signal and reaction time in these brain areas indicates that attenuated deactivation is related to the behavioral findings. CONCLUSION Slower reaction time and less accurate visual target discrimination in pedophilia was accompanied by attenuated deactivation of brain areas belonging to the default mode network. Our findings thus support the notion that behavioral differences might also derive from self-related processes and not necessarily from frontal lobe pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Habermeyer
- Departments of General and Social Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
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Müller S, Walter H, Christen M. When benefitting a patient increases the risk for harm for third persons - the case of treating pedophilic Parkinsonian patients with deep brain stimulation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW AND PSYCHIATRY 2014; 37:295-303. [PMID: 24289863 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the question whether it is ethically justified to treat Parkinsonian patients with known or suspected pedophilia with deep brain stimulation - given increasing evidence that this treatment might cause impulse control disorders, disinhibition, and hypersexuality. This specific question is not as exotic as it looks at a first glance. First, the same issue is raised for all other types of sexual orientation or behavior which imply a high risk for harming other persons, e.g. sexual sadism. Second, there are also several (psychotropic) drugs as well as legal and illegal leisure drugs which bear severe risks for other persons. We show that Beauchamp and Childress' biomedical ethics fails to derive a veto against medical interventions which produce risks for third persons by making the patients dangerous to others. Therefore, our case discussion reveals a blind spot of the ethics of principles. Although the first intuition might be to forbid the application of deep brain stimulation to pedophilic patients, we argue against such a simple way out, since in some patients the reduction of dopaminergic drugs allowed by deep brain stimulation of the nucleus subthalamicus improves impulsive control disorders, including hypersexuality. Therefore, we propose a strategy consisting of three steps: (1) risk assessment, (2) shared decision-making, and (3) risk management and safeguards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Müller
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Henrik Walter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Christen
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics, Pestalozzistrasse 24, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
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Joyal CC, Beaulieu-Plante J, de Chantérac A. The neuropsychology of sex offenders: a meta-analysis. SEXUAL ABUSE : A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2014; 26:149-177. [PMID: 23567470 DOI: 10.1177/1079063213482842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Typically, neuropsychological studies of sex offenders have grouped together different types of individuals and different types of measures. This is why results have tended to be nonspecific and divergent across studies. Against this background, the authors undertook a review of the literature regarding the neuropsychology of sex offenders, taking into account subgroups based on criminological theories. They also conducted a meta-analysis of the data to demonstrate the cognitive heterogeneity of sex offenders statistically. Their main objective was to test the hypothesis to the effect that the neuropsychological deficits of sex offenders are not broad and generalized compared with specific subgroups of participants based on specific measures. In all, 23 neuropsychological studies reporting data on 1,756 participants were taken into consideration. As expected, a highly significant, broad, and heterogeneous overall effect size was found. Taking subgroups of participants and specific cognitive measures into account significantly improved homogeneity. Sex offenders against children tended to obtain lower scores than did sex offenders against adults on higher order executive functions, whereas sex offenders against adults tended to obtain results similar to those of non-sex offenders, with lower scores in verbal fluency and inhibition. However, it is concluded that neuropsychological data on sex offenders are still too scarce to confirm these trends or to test more precise hypotheses. For greater clinical relevance, future neuropsychological studies should consider specific subgroups of participants and measures to verify the presence of different cognitive profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian C Joyal
- University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
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Müller-Vahl KR, Grosskreutz J, Prell T, Kaufmann J, Bodammer N, Peschel T. Tics are caused by alterations in prefrontal areas, thalamus and putamen, while changes in the cingulate gyrus reflect secondary compensatory mechanisms. BMC Neurosci 2014; 15:6. [PMID: 24397347 PMCID: PMC3893393 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-15-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite strong evidence that the pathophysiology of Tourette syndrome (TS) involves structural and functional disturbances of the basal ganglia and cortical frontal areas, findings from in vivo imaging studies have provided conflicting results. In this study we used whole brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the microstructural integrity of white matter pathways and brain tissue in 19 unmedicated, adult, male patients with TS “only” (without comorbid psychiatric disorders) and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Results Compared to normal controls, TS patients showed a decrease in the fractional anisotropy index (FA) bilaterally in the medial frontal gyrus, the pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus, the middle occipital gyrus, the right cingulate gyrus, and the medial premotor cortex. Increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were detected in the left cingulate gyrus, prefrontal areas, left precentral gyrus, and left putamen. There was a negative correlation between tic severity and FA values in the left superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus bilaterally, cingulate gyrus bilaterally, and ventral posterior lateral nucleus of the right thalamus, and a positive correlation in the body of the corpus callosum, left thalamus, right superior temporal gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus. There was also a positive correlation between regional ADC values and tic severity in the left cingulate gyrus, putamen bilaterally, medial frontal gyrus bilaterally, left precentral gyrus, and ventral anterior nucleus of the left thalamus. Conclusions Our results confirm prior studies suggesting that tics are caused by alterations in prefrontal areas, thalamus and putamen, while changes in the cingulate gyrus seem to reflect secondary compensatory mechanisms. Due to the study design, influences from comorbidities, gender, medication and age can be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten R Müller-Vahl
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Street 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
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Berryessa CM. Potential implications of research on genetic or heritable contributions to pedophilia for the objectives of criminal law. RECENT ADVANCES IN DNA & GENE SEQUENCES 2014; 8:65-77. [PMID: 25557668 PMCID: PMC4393782 DOI: 10.2174/2352092209666141211233857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been increasing scientific research on possible genetic or heritable influences to the etiology of pedophilia, driven by national and public concerns about better understanding the disorder in order to reduce children's vulnerabilities to pedophilic and child sex offenders. This research has corresponded to growing academic dialogue on how advances in genetic research, especially concerning the causes and development of particular mental disorders or behaviors, may affect traditional practices of criminal law and how the justice system views, manages, and adjudicates different types of criminal behavior and offenders. This paper strives to supplement this dialogue by exploring several of the many possible effects and implications of research surrounding genetic or heritable contributions to pedophilia for the five widely accepted objectives that enforce and regulate the punishment of criminal law. These include retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and restoration. Although still currently in early stages, genetic and heritability research on the etiology of pedophilia may have the potential moving forward to influence the current and established punitive methods and strategies of how the justice system perceives, adjudicates, regulates, and punishes pedophilic and sex offenders, as well as how to best prevent sexual offending against children by pedophilic offenders in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen M Berryessa
- Stanford University, Center for Biomedical Ethics, 483 McNeil Building 3718 Locust Walk Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Prell T, Peschel T, Köhler B, Bokemeyer MH, Dengler R, Günther A, Grosskreutz J. Structural brain abnormalities in cervical dystonia. BMC Neurosci 2013; 14:123. [PMID: 24131497 PMCID: PMC3852757 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-14-123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Idiopathic cervical dystonia is characterized by involuntary spasms, tremors or jerks. It is not restricted to a disturbance in the basal ganglia system because non-conventional voxel-based MRI morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have detected numerous regional changes in the brains of patients. In this study scans of 24 patients with cervical dystonia and 24 age-and sex-matched controls were analysed using VBM, DTI and magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) using a voxel-based approach and a region-of-interest analysis. Results were correlated with UDRS, TWSTRS and disease duration. Results We found structural alterations in the basal ganglia; thalamus; motor cortex; premotor cortex; frontal, temporal and parietal cortices; visual system; cerebellum and brainstem of the patients with dystonia. Conclusions Cervical dystonia is a multisystem disease involving several networks such as the motor, sensory and visual systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tino Prell
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
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Polisois-Keating A, Joyal CC. Functional neuroimaging of sexual arousal: a preliminary meta-analysis comparing pedophilic to non-pedophilic men. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2013; 42:1111-1113. [PMID: 24085469 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0198-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Polisois-Keating
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351, boul. des Forges, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5H7, Canada
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Liu Y, Miao W, Wang J, Gao P, Yin G, Zhang L, Lv C, Ji Z, Yu T, Sabel BA, He H, Peng Y. Structural abnormalities in early Tourette syndrome children: a combined voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics study. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76105. [PMID: 24098769 PMCID: PMC3786886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is characterized with chronic motor and vocal tics beginning in childhood. Abnormality of both gray (GM) and white matter (WM) has been observed in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits and sensory-motor cortex of adult TS patient. It is not clear if these morphological changes are also present in TS children and if there are any microstructural changes of WM. To understand the developmental cause of such changes, we investigated volumetric changes of GM and WM using VBM and microstructural changes of WM using DTI, and correlated these changes with tic severity and duration. T1 images and Diffusion Tensor Images (DTI) from 21 TS children were compared with 20 age and gender matched health control children using a 1.5T Philips scanner. All of the 21 TS children met the DSM-IV-TR criteria. T1 images were analyzed using DARTEL-VBM in conjunction with statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis was performed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Brain volume changes were found in left superior temporal gyrus, left and right paracentral gyrus, right precuneous cortex, right pre- and post- central gyrus, left temporal occipital fusiform cortex, right frontal pole, and left lingual gyrus. Significant axial diffusivity (AD) and mean diffusivity (MD) increases were found in anterior thalamic radiation, right cingulum bundle projecting to the cingulate gurus and forceps minor. Decreases in white matter volume (WMV) in the right frontal pole were inversely related with tic severity (YGTSS), and increases in AD and MD were positively correlated with tic severity and duration, respectively. These changes in TS children can be interpreted as signs of neural plasticity in response to the experiential demand. Our findings may suggest that the morphological and microstructural measurements from structural MRI and DTI can potentially be used as a biomarker of the pathophysiologic pattern of early TS children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing key Lab of Magnetic Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jieqiong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peiyi Gao
- Department of Neuroradiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guangheng Yin
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing key Lab of Magnetic Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Medical Department, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, West District, Beijing, China
| | - Chuankai Lv
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing key Lab of Magnetic Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiying Ji
- Medical Department, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, West District, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Yu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing key Lab of Magnetic Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - B. A. Sabel
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Medical Faculty, Institute of Medical Psychology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Huiguang He
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (YP); (HH)
| | - Yun Peng
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing key Lab of Magnetic Imaging Device and Technique, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (YP); (HH)
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