Psicopatía infanto-juvenilindicadores neurofisiológicos del procesamiento emocional

Abstract

Psychopathy is one of the most devastating psychiatric disorders present in any society, not only by the severity and violence of the behavior it generates, but also because of it requires the use of a wide range of services, from the prison system and judicial systems to mental health and welfare (Pastor, 1999). The aim of this thesis is the study of psychopathic features in adolescents. Specifically, we are interested in exploring the emotional world in these subjects, to check if the emotional deficit has been associated with adult psychopaths is also in this age group. To do so, through the ABR technique, analyzes the brain response is analysed in P50 and N100 waves upon presentation of images with emotional content. The research is carried out over an experimental sample of 22 subjects, all male, aged between 16 and 21 years. All children are inmates in a Young Offenders Centre of the Community of Madrid. The control sample consists of 25 subjects, all males, aged between 17 and 21 years, belonging to the Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid, Colegio Santa María de Yermo School Madrid and Madrid Mirasierra Virgin. The main criterion for inclusion in the experimental sample is to obtain equal scores or greater than 30 on the PCL-YV (Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version; Forth, Kosson, and Hare, 2003). Meanwhile, the control group had an absence of psychotic features. The results of the research show that adolescents with psychopathy as part of the experimental sample, show an abnormal emotional functioning similar to the one found in adult psychopathic population. They have difficulty in responding to negative emotional stimulation and the positive stimulation react more intensely.