P3 amplitude and psychopathic traits in youths: Distinct contributions of the grandiose-manipulative and daring-impulsivity traits

- The daring-impulsive traits were associated with reduced novelty P3.
- The grandiose-manipulative traits were associated with enhanced novelty P3.
- P3 effects were found for the right parietal site only.
- No zero-order correlations were found between psychopathic traits and P3.
- Findings demonstrate the suppressor effects between aspects of psychopathy.

Although abnormal P3 amplitude to target or novel stimuli have been found in adults with psychopathic traits, little is known about this relationship in youths and whether this P3 abnormality is differentially associated with dimensions of psychopathy. In this study 250 children and adolescents aged 8-19 years were assessed for P3 amplitudes in an auditory oddball paradigm over the left and right parietal sites. Psychopathic traits were assessed using combined child- and parent-reported scores on the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; (Frick & Hare, 2001)). Although the zero-order correlations showed no significant associations between APSD factors and P3 amplitudes, when the factor scores were analyzed together in a regression analysis, the daring-impulsive traits (APSD impulsivity subscale) were negatively associated with the novelty P3, whereas the grandiose-manipulative traits (APSD narcissism subscale) were positively associated with the novelty P3 at the right parietal site. Results provide further support that varying dimension of psychopathic traits may relate to different neuronal pathway abnormalities, and highlight the importance of examining the suppressor effects between distinct aspects of psychopathy.