Sex Differences in QEEG in Psychopath Offenders

Abstract

Introduction. Functional brain differences related to sex in psychopathic behavior represent an important field of neuroscience research; there are few studies on this area, mainly in offender samples. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of electrophysiological differences between male and female psychopath offenders; specifically, we wanted to assess whether the results in quantitative EEG, low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA), and changes in synchronous brain activity could be related to sex influence. Sample and Methods. The study included 31 male and 12 female psychopath offenders, according to the Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised criteria from 2 prisons located in Havana City. The EEG visual inspection characteristics and the use of frequency domain quantitative analysis techniques are described. Results. The resting EEG visual analyses revealed a high percentage of EEG abnormalities in both studied groups. Significant statistical differences between the mean parameters of cross spectral measures between psychopathic offender groups were found in the beta band at bilateral frontal derivation and centroparietal areas. LORETA showed differences especially in the paralimbic and parieto-occipital areas Synchronization likelihood revealed a significant group effect in the 26 to 30 Hz band. These results indicate that combining quantitative EEG, LORETA analysis, and synchronization likelihood may improve the neurofunctional differentiation between psychopath offenders of both sexes.

tDCS targeting the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex reduces reactive aggression and modulates electrophysiological responses: A HD-tDCS/EEG randomized controlled trial in a forensic population.

“…Several studies have indicated that antisocial behavior, especially aggression and impulsivity, are associated with dysfunctions in the prefrontal cortex [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Following the proposed neurocognitive models of Blair [15][16][17], violence is inhibited by empathy, stating that individuals with deficits in their empathic abilities could be less susceptible and less motivated to inhibit aggression, which proliferates the risk of violent behavior.…”

Neuroscience, Empathy, and Violent Crime in an Incarcerated Population: A Narrative Review

“…Both studies confirm that adult males convicted of violent crimes had gray matter reductions in the prefrontal cortex and temporal gyrus, areas consistently implicated in emotional control, antisocial behavior, and reactive aggression. Two other studies also utilized the same method: EEG ( Keune et al, 2017 ; Calzada-Reyes et al, 2020 ). However, Keune et al (2017) focused on alpha wave asymmetry to probe approach vs. withdrawal behavior, while Calzada-Reyes et al (2020) focused on beta activity to analyze differences between psychopathic females and males in terms of excitability or arousal.…”

“…Two other studies also utilized the same method: EEG ( Keune et al, 2017 ; Calzada-Reyes et al, 2020 ). However, Keune et al (2017) focused on alpha wave asymmetry to probe approach vs. withdrawal behavior, while Calzada-Reyes et al (2020) focused on beta activity to analyze differences between psychopathic females and males in terms of excitability or arousal.…”

“…Indeed, male populations, specifically offenders, receive greater attention than females. Some of the main reasons are that men represent a large part of the prison population, are diagnosed psychopaths more than women, and females tend to be more empathic and emotionally sensitive than men ( Edwards et al, 2019b ; Calzada-Reyes et al, 2020 ). It is therefore more difficult to find a sample of female prisoners who have committed violent crimes and who can be compared with males.…”

“…There is little existing research that assesses the neurobiological correlates of empathy among psychopathic female or offenders for violent crime. A singular study incorporated females by investigating gender differences in electrophysiology in people with psychopathy and convicted of a violent crime ( Calzada-Reyes et al, 2020 ). Resting EEG visual analyses revealed that both females and males had a high percentage of EEG abnormalities compared to normative database values.…”