Problem 5 Flashcards
Is the nature and magnitude of regional brain activation associated with sexual arousal different between pedophilic and non-pedophilic men?
No,
All activated brain regions associated with sexual arousal in one group are also found in the other
BUT: the number of significant foci was higher in the pedo group
Pedophilic disorder
Refers to a sexual attraction towards children that causes significant distress and impairment by
- fantasies and urges
- the acting out on behavioral level
Pedophilia
Refers to an ongoing sexual attraction toward prepubertal children
Concerning sexual offending against children, there are 2 groups that can be distinguished.
Name them.
- Those who show no sexual preference disorder but likely due to various impulse control disorders abuse children
- Those with pedophilia
Is every man suffering from pedophilia automatically a sexually offender ?
No,
Not everyone acts on their urges
–> some restrict their desire to fantasies only
THUS: it is important to differentiate pedophilic disorder and pedophilic sexual preference
Prevalence of pedophilia as a preference disorder
Approx. 1%
–> but when general fantasies are investigated it can reach up to 3-5% in the male population
Does pedophilia exist in women?
Currently there is no reliable estimate of pedophilia in women
–> one cannot be sure if it even exists in women
Methods for diagnosing pedophilia
- Clinical exploration
- Five tanner stages
- Penile Plethysmography
- Viewing time paradigm
- Pictorial stroop task
Clinical exploration
Assessing the content of sexual fantasies during masturbation - reveals:
- gender preferences
- body scheme age of the “partner”
- favored practices
–> here one can assess the sexual preference structure in detail
Five Tanner stages
Refers to a method for diagnosing pedophilia in which the body scheme age preference can be assessed
–> the process of physiological maturing is described here by focusing on the development of the secondary sex characteristics from 1 (prepubescent) to 5 (adult)
Penile plethysmography/Phallometry
(PPG)
Measures genital sexual arousal through sexual stimuli and is based on the relative change in penile response
–> most well-known objective method of measuring pedophilic interest
Circumferential method
(PPG)
Measures intra-individual changes in penile girth through a wire band fitted around the base of the penis in response to differing classes of sexual stimuli
–> one PPG method
Volumetric method (PPG)
Uses a glass tube fitted around the penis to measure calibrated air output as a result of erection
–> sensitive to small changes, so when assessing partial or non-admitters do not stand a chance
Viewing time paradigm
Measures the length of time a participant spends looking at specific images
–> one will look significantly longer at sexually arousing stimuli, thus it can be used as a sexual preference indicator
Pictorial stroop task
Involves
1. presenting words or images to participants that may be sexually salient
2. stimuli are presented in one of 4 colors which participants must identify as quickly as possible
3. consistent delay in responding to certain categories of stimuli is hypothesized to be a product of the salience of those stimuli to the individual
–> thus implicit sexual associations that exert their effects automatically are measured
Comorbid disorders with pedophilia
1. Mood + anxiety disorders
2. Substance abuse history
3. Personality disorders
–> OCD, antisocial, narcissistic, avoidant
Name the general neuropsychological dysfunctions in pedophilic AND non-pedophilic child molesters.
1. Lower IQ
–> lower levels of academic achievement
2. Lower job capacity
3. Higher frequency of left-handedness
Name the cognitive deficits shown and noticed only in pedophilic child molesters.
Deficits with
- Verbal + spatial WM
- Emotion recognition + empathy
- Attention
- Executive function
Etiology/Neurodevelopment of pedophilia
- Masturbatory conditioning
- Childhood sexual abuse
- Frontal lobe theory
- Temporal lobe theory
Frontal lobe theory
Suggests that there are noticeable structural + functional differences seen in the Orbitofrontal + left and right DLPFC of pedophilic men
–> since OFC is responsible for behavioral control + inhibiting sexual behavior, dysfunction may explain pedophilia
Dual lobe theory
Suggests that both frontal + temporal disturbances are responsible for the range of behaviors seen in pedophilia
–> e.g. diminished impulse control (PFC), hyper sexuality (TL)
Temporal-Limbic theory
Suggests that functional + structural differences in the temporal lobes leads to misattributed emotional salience and valence toward children
–> results in an increase in pedophilic behaviors
Where does sexual differentiation and development of sexual preference stem from ?
An interplay between the impact of sex chromosomes on gene expression + sex hormones
Teleiophilia
Refers to a minors or adults sexual attraction to mature adults
Hebephilia
Refers to a strong, persistent sexual interest by adults in pubescent children who are in early adolescence
–> typically ages 11–14
Pedophilic men with a history of sexual offending show a trend for increased left handedness.
Where does this result from?
A lack of prenatal testosterone exposure
Heritability, epigenetic and life events influencing the development of pedophilia.
1. Stressful events during childhood
–> e.g. child sexual abuse
2. Number of head injuries before age 13
3. Lower IQ + shorter stature
4. Weak heritability though
THUS: epigenetics have a great influence on pedophilia
How does a neurotransmitter dysbalance, influence the development of pedophilia?
There may be an increased sex drive due to
- low serotonergic inhibition
- high dopaminergic excitation
Functional brain alterations influencing the development of pedophilia.
1. Dysfunction of the PFC
–> disinhibition
2. Dysfunction of the Temporal cortex
–> sexual preoccupation/hypersexual
Structural brain alterations influencing the development of pedophilia.
- Volume reduction of the amygdala + hypothalamus
- Gray matter reduction
Exclusive vs non-exclusive type of pedophilia
Only children vs Children + adults
Is it possible to use brain scans to figure out if you’re a pedophile ?
fMRI works quite well to differentiate between pedophiles and non-pedophiles
–> but unsure if this works with other machines too, also they were admitting pedophiles
Why are antidepressants increasingly used to treat pedophilia?
Because, depressed people reported a loss of sex drive due to them
–> SSRIs enhance the serotonin levels in an individual
Treatment options for pedophilia?
Options are really low
- CBT only works in 1/5 people
- SSRI
- Testosterone lowering medication
–> a lot of side effects
