Heterosexual male perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse: a preliminary neuropsychiatric model.
This paper presents data from a series of preliminary neuropsychiatric studies, including neuropsychological, personality, sexual history, plethysmographic and neuroimaging investigations, on a sample of 22 male, heterosexual, nonexclusive pedophiles and 24 demographically similar healthy controls. A psychobiological model of pedophilia is proposed, positing that early childhood sexual abuse leads to neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the temporal regions mediating sexual arousal and erotic discrimination and the frontal regions mediating the cognitive aspects of sexual desire and behavioral inhibition. In this way, pedophiles develop deviant pedophilic arousal. Subsequently, if there is comorbid personality pathology, specifically sociopathy and cognitive distortions, there will be failure to inhibit pedophilic behavior.
Cohen
Lisa J
LJ
Beth Israel Medical Center, 1st Ave. & 16th St., New York, NY 10003, USA. lcohen@bethisraelny.org
Nikiforov
Konstantin
K
Gans
Sniezyna
S
Poznansky
Olga
O
McGeoch
Pamela
P
Weaver
Carrie
C
King
Enid Gertmanian
EG
Cullen
Ken
K
Galynker
Igor
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007989:Libido; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology