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Academia Mexicana de Neurología, A.C.

2005, Number 4

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Rev Mex Neuroci 2005; 6 (4)

Personality and intellectual performance in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), delinquents and non delinquents

Díaz VAR, Balbuena BLL, Trujillo GI, Idrovo ÁJ

Language: Spanish
References: 34
Page: 297-304
PDF size: 90.04 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Introduction: Epilepsy is frequently associated with cognitive and personality impairments. Nevertheless, very few reports on the study of the relationship between this disease and the commission of criminal, especially violent, acts are available. Objective: To analyze the personality features and intellectual performance of epileptic criminal subjects. Material and methods: We analyzed four groups of subjects: a) control subjects (n = 4), b) epileptic subjects (n = 4), c) criminal non-epileptic subjects (n = 4) and d) criminal epileptic subjects (n = 3), matched by age and schooling. The epileptic subjects were selected after medical diagnosis, and all the subjects provided informed consent. Additionally, Wechsler Adults Intelligence Scale (WAIS), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and a specific clinical interview were administered. Results: The WAIS profiles of both criminal groups are similarly low (p = 0.05). Profiles for both epileptic groups are similar only concerning the low record (‹ 6) obtained on Digit Span subtest, associated with verbal memory tasks. No significant differences were obtained from the MMPI, hence combination of depression and schizophrenia scales was highly rated (› 70) among the rest of the scales. Conclusions: These results suggest that both epileptic and non epileptic criminal subjects have similar cognitive profile. They also suggest that both groups of epileptic subjects could have similar personality features, independently of being criminals, although they are not conclusive about the epilepsy as a cause of the commission of criminal acts.


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