title: Increased frequency of brain pathology in inmates of a high-security forensic institution: a qualitative CT and MRI scan study.
abstract: This study aimed to assess whether brain pathology might be more abundant in forensic inpatients in a high-security setting than in non-criminal individuals. By using a previously used reliable approach, we explored the frequency and extent of brain pathology in a large group of institutionalized offenders who had not previously been considered to be suffering from structural brain damage and compare it to healthy, non-offending subjects. MRI and CT brain scans from 148 male inpatients of a high-security mental health institution (offense type: 51 sex, 80 violent, 9 arson, and 8 nonviolent) that were obtained due to headache, vertigo, or psychological complaints during imprisonment were assessed and compared to 52 non-criminal healthy controls. Brain scans were assessed qualitatively with respect to evidence of structural brain damage. Each case received a semiquantitative rating of "normal" (=0), "questionably abnormal" (=1), or "definitely abnormal" (=2) for the lateral ventricles, frontal/parietal cortex, and medial temporal structures bilaterally as well as third ventricle. Forensic inpatients displayed signs of brain damage to a significantly higher degree than healthy controls (p < 0.001). Even after adjustment for age, in the patients, being younger than the controls (p < 0.05), every offender type group displayed a higher proportion of subjects with brain regions categorized as definitely abnormal than the non-criminal controls. Within the forensic inpatients, offense type groups did not significantly differ in brain pathology. The astonishingly high prevalence of brain pathology in institutionalized inmates of a high-security mental health institution who previously had not been considered to be suffering from an organic brain syndrome raises questions on whether such neuroradiological assessment might be considered as a routine procedure in newly admitted patients. Furthermore, it highlights that organic changes, detectable under clinical routine conditions, may play a role in the development of legally relevant behavioral disturbances which might be underestimated.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Psychiatric State Hospital of Saxony-Anhalt, Schnöggersburger Weg 1, 39576, Stendal-Uchtspringe, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Witzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bogerts
authors.affiliation: Forensic Psychiatric State Hospital of Saxony-Anhalt, Schnöggersburger Weg 1, 39576, Stendal-Uchtspringe, Germany. k@psyneurosci.de.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany. k@psyneurosci.de.
authors.forename: Kolja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schiltz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brain pathology; CT; Clinical; Forensic psychiatry; Imaging; MRI; Violence