Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential in Antisocial Personality

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This study involved 10 subjects who were matched with an equal number of controls for age and sex. Both subjects and controls were drug free at the time of the study. The antisocial group showed evidently more prolonged latencies than the control group, particularly of Peak Latency II, III and IV, suggesting a dysfunction in the lower brainstem (pontomedullary area) for the antisocial group. Studies have shown that there are some differences found in the physiological responses of antisocial individuals as measured in the peripheral nervous system, such as labile cardiovascular responses, diminished galvanic skin response, etc. These abnormal peripheral responses suggest that there is a problem in the control and stabilization of these functions, as mediated by the lower brain stem centers in the medulla. Malmo suggested that activation or arousal is mediated chiefly through the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) which seems to be an intensity system and that it may be possible to achieve more precise measurement of activation through a direct recording of discharge by the ARAS into the cerebral cortex. The brain stem auditory evoked potential [BAEP] appears to be such a measure, and the finding of prolonged latencies in the pontomedullary regions in the antisocial group, supports the thinking that the BAEP can be useful as an objective indicator of deficits in the arousal mechanism of antisocial individuals. Due to the small siize of the sample and the exploratory nature of the study, conclusions are of necessity, quite tentative and limited in application to the sample.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: