No current diagnostic modalities exist in the accepted standards for diagnosing ASPD. However, neuroimaging and genetic testing can evaluate potential patterns and causes. For example, patients with ASPD are at higher risk of contracting certain viral infections and sexually transmitted infections associated with high-risk behavior, including HIV and hepatitis C, as well as increased mortality rates due to traumatic injuries, suicides, homicides, and accidents.
Electroencephalography is not used in patients with suspected ASPD, although it may be used in patients with suspected autism spectrum disorder to rule out seizure disorder and related issues. Researchers have attempted to identify the precise gene contributing to ASPD, and some evidence indicates that it may be a variation within AVPR1A in the 2p12 region of chromosome 2, but genetic testing cannot yet help diagnose ASPD sooner or confirm specific mutations.
Functional MRI and PET are part of the workup for obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD), as these tests have shown increases in blood flow and metabolic activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, limbic structures, caudate, and thalamus, with a trend toward right-sided predominance in patients with OCD.
Learn more about the workup for personality disorders.
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Cite this: Stephen Soreff. Fast Five Quiz: Antisocial Personality Disorder - Medscape - May 22, 2023.
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