Abstract
Although rape is an event with a high incidence worldwide, there is currently no single consensus about both the general effects and the diagnosis and treatment of this. To evaluate the consequences of rape, a teenage girl was evaluated at two moments: a month-and-a-half and then a year-and-a-half after being raped. Clinical measurements, neuropsychological testing and electroencephalographic recording (EEG) were conducted in four conditions: eyes closed, eyes open, and during performance of two tasks: Towers of Hanoi and Wisconsin. Observations showed subsyndromal symptoms of post-traumatic stress on the first evaluation, and close-to-normal scores on the neuropsychological and cognitive tests in both assessments. Decreased cortical EEG synchronization, mainly in the fast frequencies and in almost all conditions, was obtained in the second evaluation. The results obtained in this study may indicate an early development in the brain, which is discussed in light of current literature on this topic.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO, 2002) defines sexual violence as any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic with, or otherwise operated, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person, regardless of their relationship to the victim, and in any setting.How to cite this paper: Rizo-Martínez, L.E., et al (2014) Neuropsychological and Electrophysiological Evaluation after Rape: A Case Study of a Teenage Girl
Rizo-Martínez et al The WHO further states that sexual violence occurs throughout the world [1] that adolescents and young adult women are four times more likely to be victims of sexual assault than women in all other age groups [2], and that the probability of a woman being a victim of rape/attempted rape during her lifetime may be as high as 42% [3]-[5]
The most frequently reported symptoms are depression, anxiety, dissociation, behavioral disorders, aggressiveness, inappropriate or early sexual behavior and activity, loss of self-esteem, prostitution, delinquent behavior, suicide or attempted suicide, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [6]-[10], which are manifested in varying percentages of victims
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO, 2002) defines sexual violence as any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic with, or otherwise operated, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person, regardless of their relationship to the victim, and in any setting.How to cite this paper: Rizo-Martínez, L.E., et al (2014) Neuropsychological and Electrophysiological Evaluation after Rape: A Case Study of a Teenage Girl. For example, that there are critical periods in the development of the individual when experiences of stress can induce certain effects on brain development, depending on the age at which the event occurs [11] [12]. Regarding the neurobiological effects of stress during development, it has been suggested that physical or sexual abuse during childhood could be associated with limbic hyper-excitability [16], unregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses [17], diminished left hemisphere and left hippocampal development [18] [19], and alterations of the functionality of certain brain structures, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, temporal lobule, supra-marginal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, parietal cortex, and motor cortex, among others [20] [21]
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