Welche Bedeutung hat die neurobiologische Forschung für die forensische Psychiatrie?

  • Harald Dreßing
  • Alexander Sartorius
  • Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
ÜBERSICHT

Zusammenfassung

Zunehmend werden Studien publiziert, die neurobiologische Befunde bei antisozialem und gewalttätigem Verhalten beschreiben. Eine zentrale Bedeutung haben dabei bildgebende Verfahren, insbesondere Untersuchungen mit der funktionellen Kernspintomographie.

Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt exemplarisch einige neurobiologische Forschungsbefunde bei antisozialem und gewalttätigem Verhalten sowie bei pädophilen Sexualstraftätern vor sowie Studien, die über neurobiologische Risikokonstellationen berichten. Anhand dieser exemplarisch vorgestellten Studien wird die Bedeutung dieser Befunde für einige Fragestellungen in der forensischen Psychiatrie diskutiert.

Es wird dabei die These vertreten, dass eine differenzierte und kritische Anwendung neurobiologischer Untersuchungsmethoden das Verständnis der biologischen Grundlagen delinquenten Verhaltens erweitern kann. Dennoch wird delinquentes Verhalten immer nur als ein komplexes und multifaktorielles Geschehen von biologischen, psychologischen, sozialen und situativen Faktoren zu verstehen sein, für das sich monokausale Erklärungen verbieten. Für eine sinnvolle Integration neurobiologischer Forschungsbefunde in die Theorie und Praxis der forensischen Psychiatrie ist eine interdisziplinäre Diskussion aber unabdingbar. Es muss Anliegen einer modernen Forensischen Psychiatrie sein, Anschluss an die modernen neurobiologischen Forschungsansätze der Allgemeinpsychiatrie zu halten.

Schlüsselwörter

Forensische Psychiatrie neurobiologische Forschung funktionelle Kernspintomographie antisoziale Persönlichkeitsstörung Sexualstraftäter Schuldfähigkeit 

Implications of neurobiological research for forensic psychiatry

Abstract

There is an increasing number of brain imaging studies revealing structural and functional impairments in antisocial and violent individuals and sex offenders. This review outlines some neurobiological findings on offenders with antisocial personality disorder and sex offenders diagnosed with paedophilia. With regard to these studies the implications of neurobiological research for forensic psychiatry are discussed.

The increasing knowledge of functional impairments provides a better understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of delinquent behaviour. Nevertheless, it has to be kept in mind that antisocial behaviour undoubtedly arises from a complex pattern of biological, psychological, social and situative factors. Optimal integration of neurobiological findings requires cooperation among many disciplines such as medicine, criminology, sociology, psychology, politics and neuroscience.

Key words

forensic psychiatry neuroscience functional imaging antisocial personality disorder sexual offender criminal responsibility 

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Copyright information

© Steinkopff-Verlag 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Harald Dreßing
    • 1
  • Alexander Sartorius
    • 1
  • Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
    • 1
  1. 1.Zentralinstitut für seelische GesundheitMannheimDeutschland

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