White Matter Volumes in Pedophiles, Hebephiles, and Teleiophiles

Cantor, James M.; Blanchard, Ray

doi:10.1007/s10508-012-9954-2

Cited by 45 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…However, the similar proportions may have diluted differences between these groups and the teleiophilic group; one study demonstrated that the white matter differences between hebephilic and teleiophilic men were smaller than those between pedophilic and teleiophilic men. 40 In addition, the lack of clear correlations between the TP volume and psychological or behavioral measures does impede the direct application of this result to therapeutic approaches. Further studies are needed to elucidate this connection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gray matter anomalies in pedophiles with and without a history of child sexual offending

et al. 2017

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Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder that is inter-related with but distinct from child sexual offending (CSO). Neural alterations reportedly contribute to both pedophilia and CSO, but until now, no study has distinguished the brain structural anomalies associated with pedophilia from those specifically associated with CSO in pedophilic men. Using high-resolution T1-weighted brain images and voxel-based morphometry, we analyzed the gray matter (GM) volume of the following 219 men recruited at four acquisition sites in Germany: 58 pedophiles with a history of CSO, 60 pedophiles without any history of CSO and 101 non-pedophilic, non-offending controls to control for the effects of age, education level, verbal IQ, sexual orientation and the acquisition site. Although there were no differences in the relative GM volume of the brain specifically associated with pedophilia, statistical parametric maps revealed a highly significant and CSO-related pattern of above vs below the ‘normal’ GM volume in the right temporal pole, with non-offending pedophiles exhibiting larger volumes than offending pedophiles. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that the lower GM volume of the dorsomedial prefrontal or anterior cingulate cortex was associated with a higher risk of re-offending in pedophilic child molesters. We believe our data provide the first evidence that CSO in pedophilia rather than pedophilia alone is associated with GM anomalies and thus shed new light on the results of previous studies on this topic. These results indicate the need for new neurobehavioral theories on pedophilia and CSO and may be potentially useful for treatment or prevention approaches that aim to reduce the risk of (re)offending in pedophilia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gray matter anomalies in pedophiles with and without a history of child sexual offending

et al. 2017

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“…No differences in GM were observed (Cantor et al, 2008 ). These findings were upheld in a follow-up confirmatory reanalysis (Cantor and Blanchard, 2012 ) and interpreted as insufficient connectivity in pedophilic individuals, rather than simply GM reductions in disparate (sub-) cortical regions (Cantor and Blanchard, 2012 ).…”

Section: Neurobiology and Neurodevelopment Of Pedophiliamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Neurobiology and Psychology of Pedophilia: Recent Advances and Challenges

Tenbergen

Wittfoth

Frieling

et al. 2015

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

117

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A pedophilic disorder is recognized for its impairment to the individual and for the harm it may cause to others. Pedophilia is often considered a side issue and research into the nature of pedophilia is delayed in comparison to research into other psychiatric disorders. However, with the increasing use of neuroimaging techniques, such as functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI, fMRI), together with neuropsychological studies, we are increasing our knowledge of predisposing and accompanying factors contributing to pedophilia development. At the same time, we are faced with methodological challenges, such as group differences between studies, including age, intelligence, and comorbidities, together with a lack of careful assessment and control of child sexual abuse. Having this in mind, this review highlights the most important studies investigating pedophilia, with a strong emphasis on (neuro-) biological studies, combined with a brief explanation of research into normal human sexuality. We focus on some of the recent theories on the etiology of pedophilia such as the concept of a general neurodevelopmental disorder and/or alterations of structure and function in frontal, temporal, and limbic brain areas. With this approach, we aim to not only provide an update and overview but also a framework for future research and to address one of the most significant questions of how pedophilia may be explained by neurobiological and developmental alterations.

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“…There are indications of lower intelligence and altered hormone levels and hormonal responsivity among pedophilic sexual offenders, for instance. Furthermore, both brain structure and functioning seem to differ based on magnetic resonance imaging studies. Pedophilic sexual offenders tend to perform worse in executive function tasks involving response inhibition and verbal fluency , as well as processing speed , although these findings are not unequivocal .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for Heritability of Adult Men's Sexual Interest in Youth Under Age 16 from a Population-Based Extended Twin Design

Alanko¹,

Salo²,

Mokros³

et al. 2013

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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Introduction Sexual interest in children resembles sexual gender orientation in terms of early onset and stability across the life span. Although a genetic component to sexual interest in children seems possible, no research has addressed this question to date. Prior research showing familial transmission of pedophilia remains inconclusive about shared environmental or genetic factors. Studies from the domains of sexual orientation and sexually problematic behavior among children pointed toward genetic components. Adult men's sexual interest in youthfulness-related cues may be genetically influenced. Aim The aim of the present study was to test whether male sexual interest in children and youth under age 16 involves a heritable component. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measure was responses in a confidential survey concerning sexual interest, fantasies, or activity pertaining to children under the age of 16 years during the previous 12 months. Methods The present study used an extended family design within behavioral genetic modeling to estimate the contributions of genetic and environmental factors in the occurrence of adult men's sexual interest in children and youth under age 16. Participants were male twins and their male siblings from a population-based Finnish cohort sample aged 21–43 years (N = 3,967). Results The incidence of sexual interest in children under age was 3%. Twin correlations were higher for monozygotic than for dizygotic twins. Behavioral genetic model fitting indicated that a model including genetic effects as well as nonshared environmental influences (including measurement error), but not common environmental influences, fits the data best. The amount of variance attributable to nonadditive genetic influences (heritability) was estimated at 14.6%. Conclusions The present study provides the first indication that genetic influences may play a role in shaping sexual interest toward children and adolescents among adult men. Compared with the variance attributable to nonshared environmental effects (plus measurement error), the contribution of any genetic factors seems comparatively weak. Future research should address the possible interplay of genetic with environmental risk factors, such as own sexual victimization in childhood.

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White Matter Volumes in Pedophiles, Hebephiles, and Teleiophiles

Cited by 45 publications

References 16 publications

Gray matter anomalies in pedophiles with and without a history of child sexual offending

Gray matter anomalies in pedophiles with and without a history of child sexual offending

The Neurobiology and Psychology of Pedophilia: Recent Advances and Challenges

Evidence for Heritability of Adult Men's Sexual Interest in Youth Under Age 16 from a Population-Based Extended Twin Design

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