Electroencephalography, computed tomography and violence ratings of male patients in a maximum-security mental hospital.
A retrospective study of brain investigations of 372 male patients in a maximum-security mental hospital patients is described. All computed tomography (CT) scan and electroencephalography (EEG) reports were collected and rated blind; patients were subsequently divided into 3 groups according to the violence rating of their pre-admission offending behaviour. The 3 groups were similar in their mean age, psychiatric diagnosis, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale score and proportions of patients investigated with EEG and CT. In the most violent group, 20% had focal temporal electrical abnormalities on EEG (slowing and/or sharp waves) and 41% had structural abnormalities localised to temporal lobe on CT (dilated temporal horn and/or reduced size of temporal lobe). The corresponding figures for the least violent group are 2.4% and 6.7% respectively. These results suggest that high violence rating scores are associated with temporal lobe abnormalities on CT and abnormal temporal electrical discharges on EEG.
Wong
M T
MT
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
Lumsden
J
J
Fenton
G W
GW
Fenwick
P B
PB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012637:Security Measures; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014754:Violence