Dataset Information

Altered Neural and Behavioral Response to Sexually Implicit Stimuli During a Pictorial-Modified Stroop Task in Pedophilic Disorder

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pedophilic disorder (PD) entails sexual attraction to prepubertal children. A risk factor for committing child sexual abuse in PD is impaired cognitive control. However, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods

We performed a case-control study including 51 self-identified and help-seeking males with PD and 55 matched healthy control subjects. Functional magnetic resonance imaging and a pictorial-modified Stroop task involving computer-generated sexually implicit images were used to measure response time and brain activation. Increases in response time during the pictorial-modified Stroop task are presumably due to image-induced interference in executive functions required for task performance.

Results

In PD, during the presentation of images of children compared with adults, we found increased response time (p = .005; 848 ± 92 ms vs. 826 ± 88 ms), and compared with healthy control subjects, we found increased activation in the occipital, temporal (bilateral hippocampus), parietal, frontal, cingulate, and left insular cortices; caudate (bilaterally); thalamus (mediodorsal); and cerebellum.

Conclusions

Presentation of child images was associated with response interference in PD and increased engagement of brain regions involved in the processing of sexual stimuli, visual perception, self-referential thought, and executive function. We conclude that processing of child images is associated with functional and behavioral alterations in PD.

SUBMITTER: Mannfolk C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10140453 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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