title: Resting EEG deficits in accused murderers with schizophrenia.
abstract: Empirical evidence continues to suggest a biologically distinct violent subtype of schizophrenia. The present study examined whether murderers with schizophrenia would demonstrate resting EEG deficits distinguishing them from both non-violent schizophrenia patients and murderers without schizophrenia. Resting EEG data were collected from five diagnostic groups (normal controls, non-murderers with schizophrenia, murderers with schizophrenia, murderers without schizophrenia, and murderers with psychiatric conditions other than schizophrenia) at a brain hospital in Nanjing, China. Murderers with schizophrenia were characterized by increased left-hemispheric fast-wave EEG activity relative to non-violent schizophrenia patients, while non-violent schizophrenia patients instead demonstrated increased diffuse slow-wave activity compared to all other groups. Results are discussed within the framework of a proposed left-hemispheric over-processing hypothesis specific to violent individuals with schizophrenia, involving left hemispheric hyperarousal deficits, which may lead to a homicidally violent schizophrenia outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminal Justice, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA. rschug@csulb.edu
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schug
authors.forename: Yaling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raine
authors.forename: Chenbo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jianghong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liejia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult