Structural analysis of interrelations of pathoharacterological features of persons prone to criminal impulsive aggression

Psychometric testing of persons undergoing a complex forensic psychological and psychiatric examination in cases related to criminal impulsive aggression was carried out: mentally healthy persons, persons with personality disorders, persons with organic mental disorders who have committed crimes against life and health. Psychometric testing included diagnostics of predisposition to certain types of aggressive actions (Bass-Darka hostility questionnaire in the adaptation of S. N. Enikolopov) and the severity of certain personality structures associated with impulsive aggression - anxiety (Spielberger-Khanin anxiety scale), locus of control (a variant of J. Rotter - assessment of the level of subjective control (LSC)), the desire to seek new sensations and experiences. One of the main methods was also the questionnaire of the structure of temperament by V.M. Rusalov, allowing to explore the properties of temperament in the subject and in the social spheres. The results were processed using correlation analysis, the obtained correlation coefficients were visualized using the method of constructing correlation pleiades. It is shown that the structure of interrelationships of indicators of psychometric testing is specific in the studied groups, the features of the relationship of personality structures with aggressive tendencies are described both in mental health and in mental disorders that do not exclude sanity.

Pharmacotherapy of Primary Impulsive Aggression in Violent Criminal Offenders

Primary impulsive aggression (PIA) can be implicated as a common factor that results in an arrest, disciplinary, and restraint measures during confinement, and criminal recidivism after release. Evidence suggests that anti-impulsive aggression agents (AIAAs) can diminish or prevent impulsive aggression even when occurring with personality pathology such as borderline or antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), common conditions in offender populations. A previous review identified agents that have been subjected to controlled drug trials of sufficient quality, and subsequently, a decisional algorithm was developed for selecting an AIAA for individuals with IA. This selection process began with the five agents that showed efficacy in two or more quality studies from the earlier review. Today, 8 years after the quality review study, the present authors undertook this follow-up literature review. The aims of the present review were to survey the literature to identify and assess: (1) drug trials of comparable quality published since the 2013 review, including trials of the previously identified AIAAs as well as trials of agents not included in the earlier review; (2) severity of aggressive outbursts; (3) the materiality of risks or side-effects that are associated with individual AIAAs as well as antipsychotic agents commonly used to control clinical aggression; (4) efficacy of these agents in special populations (e.g., females); and (5) cost and convenience of each agent. Improved pharmacotherapy of PIA by addressing risks, side effects and practicality as well as the efficacy of AIAAs, should promote the rehabilitation and reintegration of some pathologically aggressive offenders back into the community.

El rol del docente ante situaciones de agresividad en el aula

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar las evidencias de validez del Cuestionario de Agresividad Premeditada e Impulsiva (CAPI–A) en una muestra de escolares peruanos (N= 528) entre 12 a 18 años. El cuestionario estuvo compuesto de 24 ítems en formato Likert de 5 puntos. Se hallaron las evidencias de validez de contenido (vo > ,70), así como de estructura interna, se verificó el modelo de dos dimensiones con adecuados índices de ajuste (x2/gl = 4,27, RSMEA = ,064 S-RMR = ,056, CFI = ,96, TLI = ,95; λ > ,35); además, se reportó la correlación entre las dimensiones del Cuestionario de Agresividad Proactiva y Reactiva (r > ,30); y, finalmente se halló la confiabilidad por consistencia interna con el coeficiente Omega (ω > ,70) y estabilidad temporal (test-restest > ,70). Se concluye que el Cuestionario de Agresividad Premeditada e Impulsiva presenta adecuadas evidencias de validez y fiabilidad en la muestra participante. Se recomienda obtener nuevas evidencias psicométricas en otros contextos. The objective of the study was to determine the validity evidences of the Premeditated and Impulsive Aggression Questionnaire (CAPI - A) in a sample of Peruvian schoolchildren (N = 528) between 12 and 18 years old. The questionnaire consisted of 24 items in a 5-point Likert format. Evidence of content validity (vo> .70), as well as of internal structure, was verified the two-dimensional model with adequate fit indices (x2 / gl = 4.27, RSMEA = .064 S-RMR = .056, CFI = .96, TLI = .95; λ> .35); Furthermore, the correlation between the dimensions of the Proactive and Reactive Aggression Questionnaire (r>, 30) was reported; and, finally, the reliability was found by internal consistency with the Omega coefficient (ω>, 70) and temporal stability (test-restest>, 70). It is concluded that the Premeditated and Impulsive Aggression Questionnaire presents sufficient evidence of validity and reliability in the participating sample. Obtaining new psychometric evidence in other contexts is recommended.

Cortical Correlates of Impulsive Aggressive Behavior in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Background: Impulsive aggression represents a frequent characteristic of pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). Cortical alterations associated with impulsive aggression and its multiple facets have not been investigated yet in youth with bipolar disorder.Aim: To investigate the relationship between cortical thickness and facets of impulsive aggression in youth with PBD.Materials and Methods: Twenty-three youth with PBD and 23 healthy controls (HC) were administered the aggression questionnaire (AQ) and underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging scan. Cortical thickness was assessed with FreeSurfer. Canonical correlation analyses were used to investigate the relationship between AQ total and subscale scores and cortical thickness in youth with PBD.Results: Youth with PBD had increased scores in the subscales of AQ-anger and AQ-hostility and cortical thinning in in areas belonging to the affective network (AN), frontoparietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON), i.e., right rostral anterior cingulate, right caudal anterior cingulate, right lateral orbitofrontal, right medial orbitofrontal, left and right inferior parietal, left posterior cingulate, left and right supramarginal left lingual cortices. Greater thickness in these networks positively correlated with the AQ-hostility subscale and negatively correlated with AQ-anger subscale.Conclusions: The opposite patterns observed between areas belonging to AN, FPN, CON, and the two facets of IA, namely anger and hostility, corroborate clinical findings supporting the different nature of these two constructs.