CANADA
Daily Mail (UK)
[with video]
‘Paedophilia IS an illness’: An abnormally-wired brain causes the predatory behaviour, claims expert
* Clinical psychologist Dr James Cantor, studied MRI scans to look at the brains of paedophiles
*He believes that there is a literal ‘cross-wiring’ of paedophiles’ sexual response system and parental, nurturing system in their brains
*The University of Toronto expert, also found that paedophiles are more likely to be left-handed, less intelligent and shorter, than the average man
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 08:56 EST, 22 January 2014
Paedophilia is an illness and is linked to abnormalities in the brain’s white matter, according to one leading expert.
Clinical psychologist James Cantor, studied MRI scans to look at the brains of paedophiles and believes that there is a literal ‘cross-wiring’ of the sexual response system and parental, nurturing system, in paedophiles’ brains.
He also noticed that people who are sexually drawn to children are more likely to be left-handed, less intelligent and shorter than average men.
Dr Cantor, of the University of Toronto, Canada, was surprised to find ‘huge differences’ in the white matter of paedophiles’ brains when compared to those of typical men.
Talking on The Agenda with Steve Paikin, he explained he had expected to find differences in the brain’s grey matter, where major variations are often found.
He said ‘nothing’s ever in the white matter,’ which he describes as ‘cabling tissue’ that links different parts of the brain together.
Dr Cantor said that when men find women sexually attractive, they unconsciously lower their voices and widen their stance, whereas when they talk to children their voices become higher.
He explained that instead of evoking the typical responses that men exhibit when seeing a child, ‘it’s as if [paedophiles’] responses are cross-wired’ so that when they see a child, their brain ‘triggers the sex response system instead of the parental, nurturing system’.
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