Changes in Resting EEG in Colombian Ex-combatants ith Antisocial Personality Disorder

Although the social and economic consequences of Colombian internal conflicts mainly affected the civilian population, they also had other implications. The ex-combatants, the other side of the conflict, have been the subject of many studies that question their personality structures and antisocial features. Results suggest that ex-combatants usually have characteristics of an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) that is related with their behaviour.

Quantitative EEG (qEEG) was used to evaluate differences in cortical activity patterns between an ex-combatants group and a control group. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was used to assess the presence of ASPD in the ex-combatants group, as well as the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) for other mental disorders classified in the DCI-10.

There are significant differences in psychopathy levels between groups, as well as in alpha-2 and beta waves, especially in left temporal and frontal areas for alpha-2 waves and left temporal-central regions for beta waves.

qEEG measurements allow spectral resting potential to be differentiated between groups that are related with features typically involved in antisocial personality disorder, and to correlate them with patterns in the questionnaires and clinical interview.