Antisocial personality disorder Flashcards
Who provided one of the first comprehensive descriptions of psychopathy?
Cleckley, in the 1940s.
What are the DSM-5 criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)?
A criterion: disregard for and violation of the rights of others
You need 3 or more of these symptoms:
1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors
2. Deceitfulness (being dishonest)
3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
4. Irritability and aggressiveness
5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
6. Consistent irresponsibility
7. Lack of remorse. Indifferent to hurting other people.
B criterion: individual has to be at least 18
C criterion: there has to be evidence of conduct disorder with onset before the age of 15.
what are common actions in conduct disorder?
aggression to people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, serious violations of rules
childhood-onset type vs adolescent onset type of antisocial personality disorder
prior to age 10 vs no symptoms prior to age 10
is psychopathy more psychologically than behaviorally focused?
more psychologically focused.
What is the average score on the psychopathy checklist (PCL) and starting at what score is a person considered a psychopath?
Each item is score from 0 to 2. There’s 20 items. So highest score possible is a 40. The average person scores a 4. Anyone with score of 30 or higher is considered a psychopath.
The items in the PCL are separated into 2 factors, what are they?
Emotional-interpersonal features: charm, grandiosity, lying, manipulation, remorse, emotional depth, empathy
Behavioral Deviance: child behavior problems, juvenile delinquency, boredom, impulsivity, irresponsibility, violent behavior
In a sample of prison inmates (Patrick, 2015), how many qualify for ASPD vs psychopathy
70-80% qualify for ASPD. Only 25-30% met criteria for psychopathy using criteria from PCL.
The ones that met criteria for psychopathy were the worst offenders.
What is the single best predictor of violence and recidivism among prison population
psychopathy
what is the startle reflex?
a defensive response to sudden stimuli (e.g., a loud noise).
What is fear-potentiated startle (FPS)?
An increased startle reflex when the organism is experiencing fear.
How does the startle reflex change when the organism is feeling good or safe?
The reflex is reduced.
Which brain structure is crucial for fear-potentiated startle?
Amygdala
What happens to FPS if the amygdala is lesioned?
FPS is blocked.
What is the function of the Nucleus Reticularis Pontis Caudalis (RPC)?
It relays motor output involved in the startle reflex.
How is the startle reflex typically measured in lab settings?
Using white noise probes and measuring eyeblink via EMG of the orbicularis oculi muscle.
What was the key finding about psychopaths in Patrick et al. (1993) testing startle responses to pleasant neutral and unpleasant images?
Psychopaths did not show increased startle to unpleasant slides, unlike non-psychopaths.
Purely antisocial (not elements of psychopathy): they look very similar to the non-psychopaths
So it’s really just the people with psychopathy that have this affective deficit, fearlessness about fearful things, don’t mobilize fearful response.
Which prenatal and birth factors are associated with later conduct problems?
Low birth weight, malnutrition, lead poisoning, maternal substance use during pregnancy.
What neurotransmitters are regulated by MAOA?
Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
MAOA degrades those neurotransmitters= less activity of those neurotransmitters.
How does MAOA activity influence antisocial behavior in maltreated children?
Low MAOA activity combined with maltreatment increases risk of antisocial behavior.
What is a gene-environment interaction in the context of ASPD?
When a genetic vulnerability (e.g., low MAOA) increases sensitivity to environmental risk (e.g., maltreatment).
In both humans and mice, decreased activity of the MAOA enzyme is associated with ___ aggression
INCREASED AGGRESSION
When MAOA activity is low, it doesn’t break down those neurotransmitters as efficiently.
This results in higher levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain.
While these are normally helpful chemicals, too much of them—especially when poorly regulated—can lead to problems like impulsivity and aggression.
What is the relationship between MAO-A gene activity and antisocial behavior?
Low MAO-A activity is associated with increased antisocial behavior, especially when combined with childhood maltreatment.
What did Caspi et al. (2002) find about the MAO-A gene and maltreatment?
Those with low MAO-A activity and a history of severe maltreatment showed the highest antisocial behavior scores.
