PREDICTION OF EEG (ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM) ABNORMALITIES IN ADOLESCENT DELINQUENTS

• NCJ Number: 56772
• Journal: Archives of General Psychiatry Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (1967) Pages: 494-497
• Author(s): S D LOOMIS; P J BOHNERT; S HUNCKE
• Date Published: 1967
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: American Medical Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED TO THE 122ND ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION, ATLANTIC CITY (NJ), MAY 9-13, 1966

Annotation

A SAMPLE OF 100 RESIDENTS OF A HOME FOR DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT GIRLS WAS USED TO INVESTIGATE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) ABNORMALITIES AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN FEMALES.

Abstract

THE GIRLS, RANGING IN AGE FROM 13 TO 19 YEARS, HAD BEEN COMMITTED FOR STATUS OFFENSES, INCORRIGIBILITY, AND DEPENDENCY. THEIR BACKGROUNDS, EDUCATIONAL LEVELS, AND INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENTS VARIED. ORGANIC ABNORMALITIES, INCLUDING BRAIN DAMAGE SYNDROME, WERE FOUND IN 43 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE. EEG'S, PSYCHIATRIC HISTORIES, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST SCORES WERE OBTAINED FOR ALL THE SUBJECTS. SPECIFIC HISTORICAL ITEMS INVESTIGATED INCLUDED BLACKOUTS, FAINTING, DIZZINESS, WEAKNESS, HEADACHES, MEMORY LAPSES, AND EPISODIC ASSAULTIVE OR DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR. AN ESTIMATE OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF ORGANIC COMPONENT WAS MADE USING CLINICALLY OBSERVABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BRAIN DAMAGE SYNDROME: HYPERACTIVITY, SHORT ATTENTION SPAN, EMOTIONAL LABILITY, AND INCONSISTENCY. EEG RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH THE PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGIC PREDICTIONS. RESULTS SHOW NO OBSERVABLE INCREASE IN THE GENERAL INCIDENCE OF EEG DISTURBANCES IN THE SAMPLE, SUGGESTING THAT THE ROLE OF SUCH ABNORMALITIES IN DELINQUENCY IS NOT SIGNIFICANT. EFFORTS TO PREDICT THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF EEG DISTURBANCES WERE DISAPPOINTING AND INDICATE THAT BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND PSYCHIATRIC INTERVIEWING ARE HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE MECHANISMS. ALTHOUGH PARTICULAR ATTENTION WAS PAID TO THE INCIDENCE OF DIENCEPHALIC EPILEPSY IN THE SAMPLE, RESULTS SHOWED NO INCREASE OF THIS ABNORMALITY OVER THE RATE FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)