(CP)
Thursday, November 29, 2007

TORONTO—Researchers have found the strongest evidence yet that pedophiles are biologically programmed to desire young children.
A study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggests pedophilia actually is rooted in significant brain differences that likely exist at birth.

Earlier centre studies have shown pedophiles generally have lower IQs, are far more likely to be left-handed, and are shorter on average than people who are sexually attracted to adults.
But the new paper, released this week in the Journal of Psychiatry Research, said the wiring that connects the brain regions for sexual response actually is much thinner in pedophiles.
The study examined 127 men—half of whom were convicted pedophiles.
James Cantor, the study’s lead author, said it’s too early to tell if the cluster of differences has a genetic cause or developed during fetal growth or early infancy.
“We’ve previously had very strong hints that [pedophile] brains were formed differently,” Canter said. “This is, by far, the most direct evidence that shows the brain is structured differently in pedophiles.”
Through magnetic resonance imaging, the latest research showed the so-called “white matter,” or connective wiring between key parts, is far less voluminous in a pedophile’s brain.
“One of the parts of the brain that didn’t develop normally in these people is the part that seems to be related to identifying sexual partners,” Cantor said.
The brain’s “white matter” consists of axon wiring that connects “grey matter” neuron cells. These axons usually travel in fat-wrapped bundles—like tiny coaxial cables—with a whitish hue.
In pedophiles, the bundles running between brain regions identified as centres of sexual preference are much reduced in size, he noted.
It’s not known why this wiring flaw might prompt pedophiliac desires, or what stunts the white matter growth.
While Cantor said innate brain differences might explain a pedophile’s sexual desires, they cannot excuse acting on them.
Just as a heterosexual man can’t succumb to his urges and commit rape, a pedophile is responsible to obey the law, he said.