title: Evidence for superior neurobiological and behavioral inhibitory control abilities in non-offending as compared to offending pedophiles.
abstract: Neurobehavioral models of pedophilia and child sexual offending suggest a pattern of temporal and in particular prefrontal disturbances leading to inappropriate behavioral control and subsequently an increased propensity to sexually offend against children. However, clear empirical evidence for such mechanisms is still missing. Using a go/nogo paradigm in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we compared behavioral performance and neural response patterns among three groups of men matched for age and IQ: pedophiles with (N = 40) and without (N = 37) a history of hands-on sexual offences against children as well as healthy non-offending controls (N = 40). As compared to offending pedophiles, non-offending pedophiles exhibited superior inhibitory control as reflected by significantly lower rate of commission errors. Group-by-condition interaction analysis also revealed inhibition-related activation in the left posterior cingulate and the left superior frontal cortex that distinguished between offending and non-offending pedophiles, while no significant differences were found between pedophiles and healthy controls. Both areas showing distinct activation pattern among pedophiles play a critical role in linking neural networks that relate to effective cognitive functioning. Data therefore suggest that heightened inhibition-related recruitment of these areas as well as decreased amount of commission errors is related to better inhibitory control in pedophiles who successfully avoid committing hands-on sexual offences against children. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1092-1104, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors: Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, Bochum, 44791, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Kärgel
authors: Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, Bochum, 44791, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Massau
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Weiß
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Otto v. Guericke University, Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany.|Department for Behavioral Neurology, Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tübingen, Osianderstr. 24, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Walter
authors: Department for Behavioral Neurology, Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany.
authors: Viola
authors: V
authors: Borchardt
authors: Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
authors: Tillmann H C
authors: TH
authors: Krueger
authors: Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
authors: Gilian
authors: G
authors: Tenbergen
authors: Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
authors: Jonas
authors: J
authors: Kneer
authors: Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Carl-Neuberg Strasse 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Wittfoth
authors: Department for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Christian-Albrechts Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, Kiel, 24105, Germany.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Pohl
authors: Department for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Christian-Albrechts Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, Kiel, 24105, Germany.
authors: Hannah
authors: H
authors: Gerwinn
authors: Department for Integrative Psychiatry Kiel, Institute of Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Christian-Albrechts Kiel University, Medical School, Kiel, Niemannsweg 147, Kiel, 24105, Germany.
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Ponseti
authors: Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité), Luisenstr. 57, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
authors: Till
authors: T
authors: Amelung
authors: Department of Health and Human Sciences, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité), Luisenstr. 57, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
authors: Klaus M
authors: KM
authors: Beier
authors: Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Berlin (Charité), Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Mohnke
authors: Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Berlin (Charité), Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
authors: Henrik
authors: H
authors: Walter
authors: Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL-University Hospital Bochum, Alexandrinenstraße 1-3, Bochum, 44791, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, Essen, 45147, Germany.
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Schiffer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010378:Pedophilia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: child sexual abuse; executive functioning; fMRI; go/nogo; pedophilia; response inhibition