ASPD Overview 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum age at which Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) can be formally diagnosed?
- 16 years old
- 18 years old (Correct answer)
- 21 years old
- 25 years old
Correct answer: 18 years old
ASPD cannot be diagnosed before age 18, as the DSM-5 requires the individual to be at least 18 years old.
Question 2: Which childhood disorder is considered a precursor to ASPD in adults?
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Conduct Disorder (Correct answer)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
Correct answer: Conduct Disorder
A diagnosis of Conduct Disorder before age 15 is required for an ASPD diagnosis and is considered its developmental precursor.
Question 3: In the general population, what is the estimated prevalence of ASPD?
- 0.2–0.5%
- 1–4% (Correct answer)
- 8–10%
- 15–20%
Correct answer: 1–4%
Studies estimate that ASPD affects approximately 1–4% of the general population.
Question 4: Which neurotransmitter system has been most consistently linked to the impulsivity and aggression seen in ASPD?
- Dopamine
- Serotonin (Correct answer)
- GABA
- Acetylcholine
Correct answer: Serotonin
Low serotonergic activity has been strongly associated with impulsivity and aggression in individuals with ASPD.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'shallow affect' as seen in individuals with ASPD?
- Experiencing intense but brief emotional episodes
- Displaying emotions only in social situations
- Having limited range and depth of genuine emotional experience (Correct answer)
- Feeling emotions more intensely than average
Correct answer: Having limited range and depth of genuine emotional experience
Shallow affect refers to a limited capacity for genuine emotional experience, making emotions appear superficial or feigned.
Question 6: Which brain structure abnormality is most commonly reported in neuroimaging studies of individuals with ASPD?
- Enlarged hippocampus
- Reduced prefrontal cortex gray matter (Correct answer)
- Hyperactive amygdala
- Enlarged occipital lobe
Correct answer: Reduced prefrontal cortex gray matter
Structural neuroimaging studies consistently show reduced gray matter volume in the prefrontal cortex, linked to poor impulse control and decision-making.
Question 7: How does ASPD differ from psychopathy as a construct?
- ASPD is not recognized by the DSM while psychopathy is
- Psychopathy emphasizes emotional and interpersonal features more than ASPD does (Correct answer)
- ASPD requires a criminal record while psychopathy does not
- They are identical constructs with different names
Correct answer: Psychopathy emphasizes emotional and interpersonal features more than ASPD does
Psychopathy, as measured by the PCL-R, places greater emphasis on affective and interpersonal traits, whereas ASPD focuses more on behavioral criteria.
ASPD Overview 2
What is the minimum age at which Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) can be formally diagnosed?