Citation

Pillmann F, Rohde A, Ullrich S, Draba S, Sannemuller U, Marneros A. J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 1999; 11(4): 454-457.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, American Neuropsychiatric Association, Publisher American Psychiatric Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10570757

Abstract

The authors studies the relationship of EEG abnormalities and violent criminal behavior in 222 defendants referred for psychiatric evaluation. There was no connection between the number of violent offenses and EEG abnormalities in general. Focal abnormalities, however, especially of the left hemisphere, were related to a significantly higher number of violent offenses. In many cases these abnormalities were accompanied by mental retardation, epilepsy, or earlier brain damage. The findings suggest that impairment of left hemisphere functions may enhance the propensity for violent behavior in a subgroup of offenders.

Language: en