Neural correlates of moral judgment in pedophilia

Pedophilia is a sexual preference that is often associated with child sex offending (CSO). Sexual urges towards prepubescent children and specifically acting upon those urges are universally regarded as immoral. However, up until now, it is completely unknown whether moral processing of sexual offenses is altered in pedophiles. A total of 31 pedophilic men and 19 healthy controls were assessed by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in combination with a moral judgment paradigm consisting of 36 scenarios describing different types of offenses. Scenarios depicting sexual offenses against children compared to those depicting adults were associated with higher pattern of activation in the left temporo-parietal-junction (TPJ) and left posterior insular cortex, the posterior cingulate gyrus as well as the precuneus in controls relative to pedophiles, and vice versa. Moreover, brain activation in these areas were positively associated with ratings of moral reprehensibility and negatively associated with decision durations, but only in controls. Brain activation, found in key areas related to the broad network of moral judgment, theory of mind and (socio-)moral disgust - point to different moral processing of sexual offenses in pedophilia in general. The lack of associations between brain activation and behavioral responses in pedophiles further suggest a biased response pattern or dissected implicit valuation processes

Dissociation of behavioral and neural responses to provocation during reactive aggression in healthy adults with high versus low externalization

The externalizing spectrum describes a range of heterogeneous personality traits and behavioral patterns, primarily characterized by antisocial behavior, disinhibition, and substance (mis)use. In psychopathology, abnormalities in neural threat, reward responses and the impulse-control system may be responsible for these externalizing symptoms. Within the non-clinical range, mechanisms remain still unclear. In this fMRI-study, 61 healthy participants (31 men) from the higher versus lower range of the non-clinical variation in externalization (31 participants with high externalization) as assessed by the subscales disinhibition and meanness of the Triarchic-Psychopathy-Measure (TriPM) performed a monetary modified Taylor-Aggression-Paradigm (mTAP). This paradigm consisted of a mock competitive-reaction-time-task played against a fictional opponent with preprogrammed win- and lose-trials. In lose-trials, participants were provoked by subtraction of an amount of money between 0 and 90 cents. As a manipulation check, provocation induced a significant rise in behavioral aggression levels linked with an increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). High externalization predicted reduced ACC responses to provocation. However, high externalizing participants did not behave more aggressively than the low externalization group. Additionally, the high externalizing group showed a significantly lower positive affect while no group differences emerged for negative affect. In conclusion, high externalization in the non-clinical range was related to neural alterations in regions involved in affective decision-making as well as to changes in affect but did not lead to higher behavioral aggression levels in response to the mTAP. This is in line with previous findings suggesting that aberrations at multiple levels are essential for developing externalizing disorders

Two Sides of One Coin: A Comparison of Clinical and Neurobiological Characteristics of Convicted and Non-Convicted Pedophilic Child Sexual Offenders

High prevalence of child sexual offending stand in contradiction to low conviction rates (one-tenth at most) of child sexual offenders (CSOs). Little is known about possible differences between convicted and non-convicted pedophilic CSOs and why only some become known to the judicial system. This investigation takes a closer look at the two sides of "child sexual offending" by focusing on clinical and neurobiological characteristics of convicted and non-convicted pedophilic CSOs as presented in the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Pedophilia and sexual offending against children (NeMUP)*-study. Seventy-nine male pedophilic CSOs were examined, 48 of them convicted. All participants received a thorough clinical examination including the structured clinical interview (SCID), intelligence, empathy, impulsivity, and criminal history. Sixty-one participants (38 convicted) underwent an inhibition performance task (Go/No-go paradigm) combined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Convicted and non-convicted pedophilic CSOs revealed similar clinical characteristics, inhibition performances, and neuronal activation. However, convicted subjects' age preference was lower (i.e., higher interest in prepubescent children) and they had committed a significantly higher number of sexual offenses against children compared to non-convicted subjects. In conclusion, sexual age preference may represent one of the major driving forces for elevated rates of sexual offenses against children in this sample, and careful clinical assessment thereof should be incorporated in every preventive approach

Psycholog:innen als Sachverständige für Gutachten zur Schuldfähigkeit und Massnahmenindikation im Erwachsenenstrafrecht

Nach aktueller Rechtsprechung ist die Begutachtung der Schuldfähigkeit und Massnahmenindikation Personen mit Facharzttitel für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie vorbehalten. Der damit verbundene Ausschluss von Psycholog:innen ist angesichts der Entwicklungen in den letzten zehn Jahren nicht gerechtfertigt. Die Autor:innen zeigen auf, unter welchen Weiterbildungsbedingungen Psycholog:innen als Sachverständige geeignet sind. -- Selon la jurisprudence actuelle, seuls des personnes détenant un titre de médecin spécialiste en psychiatrie et psychothérapie sont autorisés à réaliser les expertises en matière de responsabilité et d'indication de mesures. L'exclusion des psychologues, qui en découle, ne se justifie pas au vu des évolutions de ces dix dernières années. Les auteur·e·s démontrent les formations continues nécessaires pour que des psychologues soient apte à effectuer de telles expertises

The role of executive functions and moral judgment in understanding pedophilia and sexual offenses against children

Die neurobiologischen und neuropsychologischen Grundlagen einer pädophilen Ansprechbarkeit sowie von Kindesmissbrauchsverhalten sind größtenteils unbekannt, was angesichts ihrer umfangreichen möglichen negativen Konsequenzen besorgniserregend ist. Bisherige Untersuchungen zu diesen Themen haben, bedingt durch verschiedene methodische Einschränkungen, zu inkonsistenten Ergebnissen geführt. Diese Dissertation integriert drei Experimente die sich auf die Erforschung exekutiver Funktionen, Reaktionsinhibition und moralischen Urteilens konzentrierten. Hierfür wurde ein Forschungsdesign etabliert, das eine klare Unterscheidung zwischen Kindesmissbrauchsverhalten und pädophilem Interesse ermöglichte. Die Ergebnisse heben die Wichtigkeit der Differenzierung beider Phänomene hervor, mit einer stärkeren Assoziation zu Täterschaft. Darüber hinaus wird betont, dass Pädophilie und Kindesmissbrauchsverhalten komplexe, multifaktorielle Phänomene sind, die weiterführende Forschung erfordern

Diminished Functional Connectivity on the Road to Child Sexual Abuse in Pedophilia

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. </jats:sec

Externalizing behavior in healthy young adults is associated with lower cortisol responses to acute stress and altered neural activation in the dorsal striatum

The externalizing spectrum is characterized by disinhibition, impulsivity, antisocial-aggressive behavior as well as substance (mis)use. Studies in forensic samples and mentally impaired children suggested that higher rates of externalization are linked to lower cortisol stress responses and altered affect-related neural activation. In this fMRI-study, we investigated whether externalizing behavior in healthy participants is likewise associated with altered cortisol responses and neural activity to stress. Following a quasi-experimental approach, we tested healthy participants (N = 61, 31 males) from the higher versus lower range of the non-clinical variation in externalization (31 participants with high externalization) as assessed by the subscales disinhibition and meanness of the Triarchic-Psychopathy-Measure. All participants were exposed to ScanSTRESS, a standardized psychosocial stress paradigm for scanner environments. In both groups, ScanSTRESS induced a significant rise in cortisol levels with the high externalization group showing significantly lower cortisol responses to stress than the low externalization group. This was mainly driven by males. Further, individual increases in cortisol predicted neural response differences between externalization groups, indicating more activation in the dorsal striatum in low externalization. This was primarily driven by females. In contrast, post-hoc analysis showed that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyporeactivity in males was associated with prefrontal and hippocampal activation. Our data substantiate that individuals from the general population high on externalization, show reduced cortisol stress responses. Furthermore, dorsal striatum activity as part of the mesolimbic system, known to be sensitive to environmental adversity, seems to play a role in externalization-specific cortisol stress responses. Beyond that, a modulating influence of gender was disclosed