Neurophysiological indicators of emotional processing in youth psychopathy

Background: Research with psychopathic samples using the technique of evoked potentials is rather limited and almost exclusively concerned with the study of the P300 component; no studies have been found (to date) that assess shorter wave latencies. This research focuses on the emotional and attentional processes in young people with psychopathic characteristics, using the evoked potential technique in short-wave latency (N100). Method: The experimental group consisted of 22 subjects; all of them met the psychopathic criteria of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) and the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV). The control sample consisted of 25 subjects, all of them scoring less than 15 points in APSD. Results: In the experimental group, the mechanisms responsible for processing the pleasant stimulation responded earlier and with more intensity (on the N100); premium positivity bias on negativity. Conclusions: This emotional defi cit found in the literature on psychopathy in adults is also found in young people.