Ann Clin Neurophysiol.  2019 Jan;21(1):16-29. 10.14253/acn.2019.21.1.16.

Sex differences in QEEG in adolescents with conduct disorder and psychopathic traits

• Calzada-Reyes A
• Alvarez-Amador A
• Galán-García L
• Valdés-Sosa M

• KMID: 2434183
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14253/acn.2019.21.1.16

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Sex influences is important to understand behavioral manifestations in a large number of neuropsychiatric disorders. We found electrophysiological differences specifically related to the influence of sex on psychopathic traits.
METHODS
The resting electroencephalography (EEG) activity and low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) for the EEG spectral bands were evaluated in 38 teenagers with conduct disorder (CD). The 25 male and 13 female subjects had psychopathic traits as diagnosed using the Antisocial Process Screening Device. All of the included adolescents were assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria. The visually inspected EEG characteristics and the use of frequency-domain quantitative analysis techniques are described.
RESULTS
Quantitative EEG (QEEG) analysis showed that the slow-wave activities in the right frontal and left central regions were higher and the alpha-band powers in the left central and bitemporal regions were lower in the male than the female psychopathic traits group. The current source density showed increases in paralimbic areas at 2.73 Hz and decreases in the frontoparietal area at 9.37 Hz in male psychopathics relative to female psychopathics.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that QEEG analysis and techniques of source localization can reveal sex differences in brain electrical activity between teenagers with CD and psychopathic traits that are not obvious in visual inspections.

Keyword

Electroencephalogram; Conduct disorder; Sex

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Brain
Conduct Disorder*
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Electroencephalography
Female
Humans
Magnets
Male
Mass Screening
Sex Characteristics*

Figure

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  Fig. 1. The anatomical distribution of the sources of delta-band activity (2.73 Hz) that were increased in the male psychopathic traits group were localized over a broad region within both hemispheres. The main regions where the activity was higher in the male than the female psychopathic traits group were the orbitofrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, fusiform area, rectus area, olfactory area, anterior cingulate, medial cingulate, medial temporal pole, parahippocampus, and amygdala in both hemispheres; the insula, superior temporal pole, medial temporal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus in the right hemisphere; and the hippocampus in the left hemisphere. R, right hemisphere; L, left hemisphere; Z, the z-axis value for each image of the shown brain template.

• 

  Fig. 2. The anatomical distribution of the sources of alpha-band activity (9.36 Hz) that were decreased in the male psychopathic traits group were localized over a broad region within the left hemisphere. The main regions where the activity was lower in the male than the female psychopathic traits group were the orbitofrontal cortex, three parts of the inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, opercular parts of the inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, insula, precentral area, supplementary motor area, postcentral area, supramarginal area, superior parietal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, and angular gyrus in the left hemisphere. R, right hemisphere; L, left hemisphere; Z, the z-axis value for each image of the shown brain template.

Reference

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