“The beat of my heart”: the relationship between resting heart rate and psychopathy in a prospective longitudinal study

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henriette Bergstrøm ◽  
David P. Farrington

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR) and psychopathy. The literature on heart rate vs criminality (including violence) is quite clear; low RHR is associated with engaging in violent and criminal behavior. However, results are not as consistent for psychopathy. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes heart rate measured at ages 18 and 48, and psychopathy at age 48, in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD). The CSDD is a prospective longitudinal study that has followed 411 boys from childhood to middle age, and measured social and biological factors of interest to the field of criminal psychology. Findings Interestingly, it was only heart rate at age 18 that was negatively and significantly related to psychopathy at age 48. No trends or relationships were found between heart rate at age 48 and psychopathy at age 48. The findings do, however, indicate that low heart rate at age 18 predicts psychopathy at age 48, and the strongest negative relationships are found between low heart rate (beats per minute) and impulsive and antisocial psychopathic symptoms. Originality/value This is the first ever longitudinal study showing that low RHR predicts later psychopathy. Suggestions for future research are outlined.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Farrington ◽  
Henriette Bergstrøm

Purpose Previous research has indicated that low resting heart rate (RHR), measured at age 18, predicts later psychopathy, and that high RHR acts as a protective factor in nullifying the influence of several psychosocial risk factors in predicting later antisocial and criminal outcomes. This paper aims to investigate high RHR as a protective factor against age 8–10 psychosocial risk factors in predicting psychopathy factors at age 48 (measured by the PCL:SV). Design/methodology/approach Data collected in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development are analyzed. This is a prospective longitudinal study of 411 London males from age 8 to age 61. Findings This paper first reports the age 8–10 psychosocial risk factors that predict the interpersonal/affective Factor 1 and the lifestyle/antisocial Factor 2. Then interaction effects with high RHR are studied. The results indicate that high RHR acts as a protective factor against a convicted father and a depressed mother in predicting both psychopathy factors. It also protected against harsh discipline, large family size, low verbal IQ, high hyperactivity, poor parental supervision and a high delinquency-rate school in predicting one of these psychopathy factors, and against a convicted mother in a sensitivity analysis. Originality/value This is the first ever longitudinal study showing that high RHR acts as a protective factor in the prediction of psychopathy. The replicated results with different antisocial outcomes show that more research is warranted on the protective effects of high RHR.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryanna Fox ◽  
Lauren N. Miley ◽  
Richard K. Moule Jr

Purpose Research indicates that a link exists between resting heart rate (RHR) and various forms of antisocial, violent and criminal behavior among community and criminal samples. However, the relationship between RHR and engagement in aggressive/violent encounters among law enforcement has not yet been examined. The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between RHR and engagement in violent encounters using prospective longitudinal data on a sample of law enforcement officers in the USA. Design/methodology/approach Negative binomial regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox hazard regressions are conducted using a sample of 544 police officers to determine if there a relationship between RHR and engagement in violent encounters by law enforcement, even when controlling for demographics, biological and social covariates. Findings Results indicate that higher RHR is associated with an increased risk of officers engaging in a violent altercation, as measured by the number of arrests for suspects resisting arrest with violence, even after controlling for all other relevant factors. Originality/value This study was the first to examine police officers RHR levels and its associated with violent altercations during arrest using a rigorous statistical methodology.


Pain ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Kamper ◽  
Christopher G. Maher ◽  
Luciola da C. Menezes Costa ◽  
James H. McAuley ◽  
Julia M. Hush ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Kavish ◽  
Q. John Fu ◽  
Michael G. Vaughn ◽  
Zhengmin Qian ◽  
Brian B. Boutwell

AbstractDespite the prior linkages of low resting heart rate to antisocial behavior broadly defined, less work has been done examining possible associations between heart rate to psychopathic traits. The small body of research on the topic that has been conducted so far seems to suggest an inverse relationship between the two constructs. A smaller number of studies have found the opposite result, however, and some of the previous studies have been limited by small sample sizes and unrepresentative samples. The current study attempts to help clarify the relationship between resting heart rate and psychopathic traits in a large, nationally representative sample (analytical N ranged from 14,173-14,220) using an alternative measure of psychopathic traits that is less focused on antisocial processes, and rooted in personality traits. No significant relationship between heart rate and psychopathic traits, or heart rate and a measure of cold heartedness, was found after controlling for age, sex, and race. Implications of the findings, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Williams ◽  
Karen Finn ◽  
Vincent Melvin ◽  
David Meagher ◽  
Geraldine McCarthy ◽  
...  

Limited studies of the association between BDNF levels and delirium have given inconclusive results. This prospective, longitudinal study examined the relationship between BDNF levels and the occurrence of and recovery from delirium. Participants were assessed twice weekly using MoCA, DRS-R98, and APACHE II scales. BDNF levels were estimated using an ELISA method. Delirium was defined with DRS-R98 (score > 16) and recovery from delirium as ≥2 consecutive assessments without delirium prior to discharge. We identified no difference in BDNF levels between those with and without delirium. Excluding those who never developed delirium (n=140), we examined the association of BDNF levels and other variables with delirium recovery. Of 58 who experienced delirium, 39 remained delirious while 19 recovered. Using Generalized Estimating Equations models we found that BDNF levels (Wald χ2=7.155; df: 1, p=0.007) and MoCA (Wald χ2=4.933; df: 1, p=0.026) were associated with recovery. No significant association was found for APACHE II, dementia, age, or gender. BDNF levels do not appear to be directly linked to the occurrence of delirium but recovery was less likely in those with continuously lower levels. No previous study has investigated the role of BDNF in delirium recovery and these findings warrant replication in other populations.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. ADDINGTON ◽  
S. VAN MASTRIGT ◽  
D. ADDINGTON

Background. The duration of untreated psychosis has been postulated to be a predictor of clinical outcome in schizophrenia. Although several prospective studies support the relationship, some studies do not. These differences may be due to a number of methodological issues. The objectives of this study are: (i) to address many of the methodological limitations of earlier studies such as variations in sample size and selection, type of treatment provided, differences in measurement of DUP and outcome, and length of follow-up; and (ii) to examine the relationship between DUP and outcome in a prospective longitudinal study.Method. The DUP of 200 consecutive admissions to a first-episode programme was determined. The sample was followed over 2 years and pre-morbid functioning, symptoms, social and cognitive functioning and substance use were assessed longitudinally.Results. Two years after admission to the programme, longer DUP was significantly associated with high levels of positive symptoms and poor social functioning. Independently of other variables, DUP predicted positive symptoms and social functioning at 1 and 2 years.Conclusions. There is evidence that long DUP continues to have an influence on outcome up to 2 years. These results support ongoing efforts for early detection and intervention.


Addiction ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 1276-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca McKetin ◽  
Dan I. Lubman ◽  
Amanda Baker ◽  
Sharon Dawe ◽  
Joanne Ross ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document