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Neurological soft signs in homicidal men with antisocial personality disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Nina Lindberg ,
Pekka Tani ,
Jan-Henry Stenberg ,
Björn Appelberg ,
Tarja Porkka-Heiskanen  and
Matti Virkkunen
Nina Lindberg*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Pekka Tani
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Jan-Henry Stenberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland
Björn Appelberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland
Tarja Porkka-Heiskanen
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Matti Virkkunen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland
*
*Corresponding author. Email addresses:nina.lindberg@pp3.inet.fi
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Abstract

Neurological soft signs (NSS) are characterized by abnormalities in motor, sensory, and integrative functions. NSS have been regarded as a result of neurodevelopmental dysfunction, and as evidence of a central nervous system defect, resulting in considerable sociopsychological dysfunction. During the last decade there has been growing evidence of brain dysfunction in severe aggressive behavior. As a symptom, aggression overlaps a number of psychiatric disorders, but it is commonly associated with antisocial personality disorder. The aim of the present study was to examine NSS in an adult criminal population using the scale by Rossi et al. [29]. Subjects comprised 14 homicidal men with antisocial personality disorder recruited from a forensic psychiatric examination. Ten age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers as well as eight patients with schizophrenia, but no history of physical aggression, served as controls. The NSS scores of antisocial offenders were significantly increased compared with those of the healthy controls, whereas no significant differences were observed between the scores of offenders and those of patients with schizophrenia. It can be speculated that NSS indicate a nonspecific vulnerability factor in several psychiatric syndromes, which are further influenced by a variety of genetic and environmental components. One of these syndromes may be antisocial personality disorder with severe aggression.

Keywords

Neurological soft signsAntisocial personality disorderHomicide
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 19 , Issue 7 , November 2004 , pp. 433 - 437
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2004

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