Pain thresholds, pain-induced frontal alpha activity and pain-related evoked potentials are associated with antisocial behavior and aggressiveness in athletes

Sensitivity to and cortical processing of noxious stimuli were reduced in individuals who more frequently behave antisocially and aggressively when playing sport and who are more likely to use psychosocial maneuvers to justify their harmful behavior. Our findings reveal that pain-related deficits are a feature of individuals who engage in more frequent antisocial and aggressive behavior in the context of sport.