You can manage bookmarks using lists, please log in to your user account for this.
Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Neural processing associated with cognitive empathy in pedophilia and child sexual offending
Contributor:
Schuler, Miriam;
Mohnke, Sebastian;
Amelung, Till;
Beier, Klaus M;
Walter, Martin;
Ponseti, Jorge;
Schiffer, Boris;
Kruger, Tillmann H C;
Walter, Henrik
Published:
Oxford University Press (OUP), 2022
Published in:
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 17 (2022) 8, Seite 712-722
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1093/scan/nsab133
ISSN:
1749-5016;
1749-5024
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
Abstract Behavioral studies found evidence for superior cognitive empathy (CE) in pedophilic men without a history of child sexual offending (P − CSO) compared to pedophilic men with a history of child sexual offending (P + CSO). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies also point to differences between P − CSO and P + CSO. Neural processing associated with CE has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the neural correlates of CE in subjects with pedophilia with (P + CSO) and without (P − CSO) child sexual offending. 15 P + CSO, 15 P − CSO and 24 teleiophilic male controls (TC) performed a CE task during fMRI. We observed reduced activation in the left precuneus (Pcu) and increased activation in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in P − CSO compared to P + CSO. P − CSO also showed stronger connectivity between these regions, which might reflect a top-down modulation of the Pcu by the ACC toward an increased self-focused emotional reaction in social situations. There was also evidence for increased right superior temporal gyrus activation in P − CSO that might constitute a potentially compensatory recruitment due to the dampened Pcu activation. These findings provide first evidence for altered neural processing of CE in P − CSO and underline the importance of addressing CE in pedophilia and CSO in order to uncover processes relevant to effective prevention of child sexual abuse.