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EEG (ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM) STUDY OF DELINQUENT ADOLESCENTS WITH REFERENCE TO RECIDIVISM AND MURDER

NCJ Number
56815
Journal
FOLIA PSYCHIATRICA ET NEUROLOGICA JAPONICA Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: (1977) Pages: 77-84
Author(s)
M KIDO
Date Published
1973
Length
8 pages
Annotation
AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) STUDY IS MADE OF 186 MALE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WITH REFERENCE TO RECIDIVISM AND MURDER AND THEIR RELATION TO 14 AND 6/SEC SPIKE PATTERNS, 6/SEC WAVES, AND LOW PENTAMETHYLENETETRAZOL THRESHOLDS.
Abstract
THE SUBJECTS, DETAINEES AT A JAPANESE JUVENILE HOME BETWEEN 1969 AND 1972, WERE CLASSIFIED INTO THE FOLLOWING SIX GROUPS: (1) THOSE SELECTED RANDOMLY IRRESPECTIVE OF NUMBER OF DETENTIONS, 14 THROUGH 15 YEARS OF AGE; (2) THOSE DETAINED TWICE OR MORE, 16 THROUGH 17 YEARS OF AGE; (3) THOSE DETAINED THREE TIMES, 18 THROUGH 19 YEARS OF AGE; (4) THOSE DETAINED FOUR TIMES OR MORE, 18 THROUGH 19 YEARS OF AGE; (5) THOSE CHARGED WITH MURDER; AND (6) THOSE CHARGED WITH COMMITTING PHYSICAL INJURIES RESULTING IN A VICTIM'S DEATH. EEG RECORDS WERE OBTAINED AND PENTAMETHYLENETETRAZOL (PMT) ACTIVATION WAS PERFORMED BY GIVING SUBJECTS A CONTINUOUS INTRAVENOUS INJECTION OF A CARDIAZOL SOLUTION UNTIL THE APPEARANCE OF AN EPILEPTIC SEIZURE DISCHARGE OCCURRED IN THEIR EEG'S. SLEEP RECORDINGS WERE ALSO OBTAINED. THE LOW PMT THRESHOLD WAS OBSERVED IN ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE ADOLESCENTS WHO WERE DETAINED FOUR TIMES OR MORE IN A JUVENILE HOME AND IN ABOUT HALF OF THE JUVENILE MURDERERS. IN ONE-THIRD OF THE SUBJECTS AGED 13-14, 14 AND 6/SEC POSITIVE SPIKES WERE SEEN; BUT THEY WERE SEEN IN ONLY 3.4 PERCENT OF THOSE AGED 15-19. THERE WAS NO CONSISTENT OCCURRENCE OF THE 6/SEC WAVE PATTERN. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT RECIDIVISM OR HOMICIDE MAY FREQUENTLY BE RELATED TO AN ORGANIC OR FUNCTIONAL CHANGE IN THE DIENCEPHALON AND THAT THE 14 AND 6/SEC POSITIVE SPIKE PATTERN IS RELATED TO THE MATURATION PROCESS, BUT NOT PARTICULARLY TO JUVENILE RECIDIVISM. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)