title: [Can psychopathy be detected psychophysiologically?].
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine whether pupillometry was able to identify and differentiate psychopathic personality traits in criminally responsible mentally disordered offenders (§ 21/2 StGB). Psychopathic disorder has not only behavioral, but also psychophysiological correlates, which may be evaluated by pupillometry. This might make it possible to diagnose psychopathy by means of a non-invasive method and in a further step to adapt therapeutic measures accordingly. Psychopathic behavior and personality traits were identified by means of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and offenders were divided into 4 groups with PCL-R scores of 0-10, 11-20, 21-30 and 31-40, respectively. Pupillometry makes it possible to objectively measure amplitudes of pupillary oscillations, which may serve as an indicator of central nervous activation/deactivation. The study at hand showed that the higher the PCL-R values, the smaller the amplitudes. Thus, it can be concluded that central nervous activation decreases with higher PCL-R values and psychopathy is associated with central nervous deactivation.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Medizinische Universität Wien, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Wien, Österreich, bernd.saletu@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grünberger
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heilmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wisnecky
authors.forename: Katinka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keckeis
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prattinger
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ronovsky
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grünberger
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bösch
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stöhr
mesh_terms: D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D057189:Checklist; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012025:Reflex, Pupillary / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results