1. Psychopathic characteristics are related to high basal urinary oxytocin levels in male forensic patients
- Author
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Toni E. Ziegler, Ian J. Mitchell, Jelle Troelstra, Winike Smid, Anthony R. Beech, and Edwin Wever
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Urinary system ,Psychopathy ,Physiology ,Empathy ,medicine.disease ,Forensic science ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Clinical Psychology ,Basal (phylogenetics) ,Oxytocin ,medicine ,Psychiatry ,Psychology ,hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists ,media_common ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Background: Cerebral levels of oxytocin, elevated by intranasal administration, can increase trust, empathy and altruism, and decrease fear. We hypothesised that low levels of these characteristics (found in some personality-disordered forensic patients), would be associated with reduced oxytocin levels. Aims: To assess whether patients, with psychopathic characteristics associated with selfishness, callousness and the remorseless use of others, plus a chronically unstable, antisocial and socially deviant lifestyle, would show depressed levels of oxytocin. Method: Basal urinary oxytocin levels (an indicator of cerebral oxytocin) were assessed in 47 forensic psychiatric patients. Levels were compared with those in 21 non-patient controls, and correlated with psychopathic characteristics. Results: Oxytocin levels were markedly elevated in the patient sample compared to controls. Levels were also strongly correlated with traits associated with a socially deviant lifestyle. Conclusions: The results point to o...
- Published
- 2013