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Volume 9
Journal of Neurology and Neuroscience
ISSN: 2171-6625
Page 68
JOINT EVENT
July 23-24, 2018 Birmingham, UK
&
24
th
International Conference on
Neuroscience and Neurochemistry
26
th
Edition of International Conference on
Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience
Psychopathy and response inhibition
Kathrin Weidacker
Cambridge University, UK
Statement of the Problem:
Psychopathy is per definition strongly associated with impulsivity. However, this theoretical
association between impulsivity and psychopathy is not reflected in standard assessments such as the go/no-go task.
Methodology:
The presented experiments examine impulsivity under increased cognitive load using the parametric go/no-go
task (PGNG). In this task, cognitive load is parametrically increased by introducing an increasing number of targets and by
making the requirement to inhibit prepotent responses dependent on an alternation rule. The first study measures impulsivity
in a subclinical sample and utilizes the psychopathic personality inventory-revised. The second study tests the generalizability
of the previously obtained findings in a forensic sample, using the psychopathy checklist: screening version 5 (PCL: SV).
Findings:
In line with previous research, impulsivity was increased in participants scoring highly on one psychopathic sub-trait:
blame externalization. Offenders showed a relationship between impulsivity and psychopathic traits, similar to the subclinical
sample. However, using PCL: SV, more complicated association between psychopathic trait and impulsive respondings has been
uncovered. While offenders scoring highly on the lifestyle facet of the PCL: SV showed the expected increased impulsiveness,
offenders scoring highly on the interpersonal aspects of psychopathy showed the opposite. High scores on interpersonal
psychopathic traits were associated with reduced impulsivity as measured by the PGNG.
Conclusion & Significance:
While subclinical and forensic samples both show that increased impulsivity levels are associated
with an increased expression of psychopathic traits when cognitive load is increased, the samples differ on the type of
association between psychopathic traits and impulsivity. Psychopathic traits in offenders, unlike in subclinical participants, are
additionally associated with reduced impulsivity levels when investigating participants scoring highly on interpersonal aspects
of psychopathy. This negative relationship between psychopathic traits and impulsivity might reflect a mechanism that enables
psychopaths to adequately manipulate their victims and mask their true nature.
Ksw38@medschlcamacuk
J Neurol Neurosci 2018, Volume 9
DOI: 10.21767/2171-6625-C2-012