Examining the cognitive function of individuals with antisocial traits using event-related potentials

Abstract

Background: While antisocial behavior, a significant contributor to undesirable and criminal behaviors, is well characterized and defined in some ways, this is not the case for the cognitive processes that might differ for this behavior, including those relating to behavioral control.

Objectives: Investigation of cognitive factors that contribute to antisocial behavior by examining inhibitory control to better characterize cognitive differences associated with such behavior and aid determination of methods for beneficial intervention.

Methods: Inhibitory control was measured using a stop signal task with concurrent recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) in individuals with high antisocial traits (HAT) and low antisocial traits (LAT) with trials preceded by either neutral or fearful facial cues. This allowed assessment of any differences in emotion processing, inhibitory control and error monitoring. Participants were all adults from the general Taiwan population.

Results: Both HAT and LAT groups showed higher P2 ERP amplitudes for fearful-face trials compared to neutral-face trials, suggesting more perceptual processing of the former, but the HAT group had lower P2 amplitudes for these trials. No differences were seen for N2 and P3 amplitudes, often associated with inhibitory control. The HAT group showed weaker event-related negativities (ERNs) and stronger Pe responses than the LAT group as well as longer latencies for the ERN.  

Conclusions: Higher antisocial personality traits were associated with reduced processing of fearful emotion information and differences relating to error processing rather than inhibitory control deficits. The associated processes might be better targets of intervention, rather than general inhibitory control training.