Frontal Lobe and Autonomic Functioning in Psychopaths

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study aims: (a) to further test the existence of a link between psychopathy and frontal lobe functional impairments; (b) to replicate and extend prior findings (Ishikawa, Raine, Lencz, Bihrle, & Lacasse, 2001) and determine if frontal dysfunction is specific to unsuccessful versus successful psychopaths; (c) to determine if neuropsychological impairments are specific to a sub-region of the prefrontal cortex in psychopaths, and in unsuccessful versus successful psychopaths; and (d) to determine if these neuropsychological impairments coincide with impairments in autonomic functioning as measured by skin conductance and heart rate activity. Neuropsychological measures (including purported orbitofrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal measures), psychophysiological measures (i.e., skin conductance and heart rate), and Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised will be administered to a community sample. Criminal records will be verified, and unsuccessful psychopaths (i.e., with conviction histories) will be compared to successful psychopaths (i.e., without criminal histories) and non-psychopathic controls on these neuropsychological and psychophysiological variables in order to better understand the etiological underpinnings of psychopathy. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]