Neural correlates of pain and suffering observation in sexual sadists

No abstract available

Pain sensitivity and observer perception of pain in individuals with autistic spectrum disorder

The peer-reviewed literature investigating the relationship between pain expression and perception of pain in individuals with ASD is sparse. The aim of the present systematic PRIMSA review was twofold: first, to see what evidence there is for the widely held belief that individuals with ASD are insensitive to pain or have a high pain threshold in the peer-reviewed literature and, second, to examine whether individuals with ASD react or express pain differently. Fifteen studies investigating pain in individuals with ASD were identified. The case studies all reported pain insensitivity in individuals with ASD. However, the majority of the ten experimental studies reviewed indicate that the idea that individuals with ASD are pain insensitive needs to be challenged. The findings also highlight the strong possibility that not all children with ASD express their physical discomfort in the same way as a neurotypical child would (i.e., cry, moan, seek comfort, etc.) which may lead caregivers and the medical profession to interpret this as pain insensitivity or incorrectly lead them to believe that the child is in no pain. These results have important implications for the assessment and management of pain in children with ASD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in incarcerated populations : current clinical considerations and recommendations

Purpose: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may have a detrimental impact on the individual’s ability to benefit from rehabilitative prison-based programmes and studies have also found that there is an association between PTSD and higher rates of re-offending. Studies have also found that a significant number of cases of trauma and PTSD go undetected and therefore untreated in individuals who are incarcerated. Approach: A literature review was carried out exploring studies which have investigated PTSD in incarcerated populations in order to identify current clinical considerations and recommendations. Findings: This paper explores the key findings from the literature and highlights the important clinical implications and recommendations. Value: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to focus specifically on how the findings from the literature can inform clinical practice and also what factors need to be given greater consideration, going beyond current systematic reviews and literature reviews in the field

Neurobiological abnormalities in the first few years of life in individuals later diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder : A review of recent data

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An independent process evaluation of Mellow Dads

No abstract available

Fire-setting and psychopathology : a brief overview of prevalence, pathways and assessment

Purpose: There is increasing attention on investigating the association between fire-setting and psychopathology and also the degree to which fire-setting is a manifestation of mental disorder. Despite the actual prevalence of pyromania remaining elusive, there is growing evidence in the literature highlighting the higher rates of psychiatric mental health disorders in fire-setters, the most common being: schizophrenia, mood disorders (such as anxiety and depression), personality disorders, alcohol abuse, and intellectual disability. The purpose of this paper is to highlight more recent work on prevalence, pathways and assessment in offenders who have engaged in fire-setting. methodology/approach: This paper provides an overview of the literature on fire-setting and psychopathology with a focus on prevalence, pathways and assessment. Findings: This review identified key literature which has identified a variety of distinct pathways to fire-setting and also highlights two assessments/measures for fire-setters. Such information is useful for clinicians when they encounter this group of offenders. Practical implications: This paper has identified in the literature and recommends the use of the ‘Fire Setting Scale’ and the ‘Fire Proclivity Scale’ in clinical and/or forensic practice. Originality/value: There is a very real need for additional empirical research in this area. There is also a need for an increased awareness and understanding of how various types of psychopathy can contribute to fire-setting in both a legal and clinical context

Prevalence and assessment of traumatic brain injury in prison inmates : a systematic PRISMA review

The primary objectives of the present systematic PRISMA review was: (1) to explore the range of prevalence of TBI in offenders, and whether this is higher than in a control sample; (2) to determine which screening measures are available, and evaluate the evidence on these; and lastly, (3) to evaluate whether prevalence of TBI is associated with increased prevalence of other health conditions and/or offending behaviour. The present systematic PRISMA review explores the peer reviewed literature published since 2005 which has investigated TBI in incarcerated populations using five databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO) in addition to separate searches conducted on ‘Google Scholar’ using specific search criteria. Seventeen studies were identified which explored the prevalence of TBI in inmates. Only five of the seventeen studies which investigated prevalence of TBI in offender populations looked at juvenile offending. Interestingly, only seven of the 12 studies included both male and female samples (two of which did not report findings separate for males and females. In terms of the assessments used to investigate prevalence, three studies investigated the prevalence of TBI using The Ohio State University (OSU) TBI Identification method (OSU-TBI-ID). Nine studies used one or two questions in order to elicit information on whether the offender had previously experienced a TBI. Only two studies used the Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire (TBIQ). One study used the Brain Injury Screening Index (BISI). Lastly evidence of TBI checklist from medical record (14-items) was used in one study. In terms of the implication for further research and practice, the studies identified in this review clearly emphasise the need to account for TBI in managing care in offender populations, which may contribute to reduction in offending behaviours. Additionally, there is a need for further research investigating the clinical utility of screening tools for detecting TBI in offender populations such as The Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire (TBIQ), The Brain Injury Screening Index (BISI) and The Ohio State University (OSU-TBI-ID) TBI Identification method

Understanding and recognising the female phenotype of autism spectrum disorder and the “camouflage” hypothesis : a systematic PRISMA review

Purpose: Females with ASD may display superficial social skills which may mask their autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomology impacting on the identification of the disorder – known as the “camouflage” hypothesis. Compared to males with ASD, it is increasingly recognised that females with ASD have a stronger ability to imitate behaviour which is socially acceptable, particularly those females who have higher cognitive abilities (i.e., intelligence considered to be within the normal range) (Ehlers & Gillberg, 1993). Design/methodology/approach: This present paper will explore the literature on camouflaging or masking behaviour in females with ASD. A systematic PRISMA review was conducted. Findings: The capacity to ‘camouflage’ social difficulties in social situations is considered to be one of the main features of the female phenotype of ASD (e.g., Kenyon 2014). Social imitation or camouflaging enables some level of success and coping which results in some females never receiving a diagnosis of ASD. They typically may not exhibit any observable functional impairments. However, under the surface of the camouflage, females may experience high levels of subjective stress, anxiety and exhaustion and a need to re-charge or recuperate by withdrawing from any social interaction. Practical implications: There is a need for the development of a camouflaging measure. Research limitations/implications: There is a relatively little understanding and knowledge of the female phenotype of ASD. This lack of understanding and knowledge impacts significantly on the ability to identify females with ASD (Lai et al., 2015; Bargiela et al., 2016) which can have a number of negative consequence (Adamou et al., 2018; NICE, 2012). Originality/value: There is a real need for further research exploring the positive and negative impact of the phenomenon of ‘camouflaging’, or ‘pretending to be normal’ in females with ASD

Autism Spectrum Disorder, bestiality and zoophilia : a systematic PRISMA review

Purpose There remains a lack of knowledge surrounding paraphilic or deviant arousal sexual behaviours in individuals with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Kellaher, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to explore the literature for any empirical study, case study or discussion/review paper surrounding individuals with ASD and zoophilia or bestiality. Design/methodology/approach A systematic PRISMA review was conducted. Findings This systematic review highlighted only a small number of papers, which have looked at zoophilia or bestiality in individuals with ASD. Only one article was identified as being relevant in the present review, three further articles included a description of a case involving someone with ASD who engaged in zoophilia or bestiality and another paper, although not the focus of the study, found one person with Asperger’s disorder who had several paraphilias including olfactophilia, podophilia and zoophilia in a sample of 20 institutionalised, male adolescents and young adults with Autistic disorder and borderline/mild mental retardation. All the case studies clearly highlight some of the ASD symptomology that can contribute to engaging in bestiality or zoophilia. Practical implications It is important that individuals with ASD have access to appropriate and timely sex education and that parents are supported by healthcare professionals to engage with their children with ASD in such interactions across the autism spectrum irrespective of the parent’s expectations. Originality/value To the author’s knowledge, this is the first review of ASD in relation to bestiality and zoophilia