[The relationship between right hemi-space visuospatial attention disturbance and anger in antisocial individuals]

Evidence suggests that individuals with antisocial personality disorder (APD) exhibit a less asymmetric pattern than healthy controls during auditory and visuospatial attention tasks characterized by a right hemispheric advantage; however, the association between attention asymmetry and symptomatology is not clear. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between visuospatial attention in the right and left hemi-spaces, and various dimensions of anger in individuals with APD.

We compared visuospatial attention performance in the right and left hemi-spaces during a computerized Line Bisection Test (LBT) in individuals with APD (n = 52) and healthy controls (n = 34). We also administered the Multi-Dimensional Anger Scale (MDAS) to both groups.

Subjects in the APD group made larger bisection errors than healthy controls only during the right hemi-space condition and had higher scores than those in the control group on all MDAS dimensions of anger. The severity of anger symptoms and thoughts were predicted by right hemi-space visuospatial attention disturbance in the APD group, whereas no such association was observed in the control group.

The present findings either suggest a left hemisphere neuropathology or a disturbance in inter-hemispheric transmission in the APD group. Right hemi-space-specific visual attention disturbance may mediate the relationship between neuropathology, and somatic and trait dimensions of anger in APD.