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Gao Y, Staginnus M. Cortical structure and subcortical volumes in conduct disorder: a coordinated analysis of 15 international cohorts from the ENIGMA-Antisocial Behavior Working Group. Lancet Psychiatry 2024; 11:620-632. [PMID: 39025633 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(24)00187-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conduct disorder is associated with the highest burden of any mental disorder in childhood, yet its neurobiology remains unclear. Inconsistent findings limit our understanding of the role of brain structure alterations in conduct disorder. This study aims to identify the most robust and replicable brain structural correlates of conduct disorder. METHODS The ENIGMA-Antisocial Behavior Working Group performed a coordinated analysis of structural MRI data from 15 international cohorts. Eligibility criteria were a mean sample age of 18 years or less, with data available on sex, age, and diagnosis of conduct disorder, and at least ten participants with conduct disorder and ten typically developing participants. 3D T1-weighted MRI brain scans of all participants were pre-processed using ENIGMA-standardised protocols. We assessed group differences in cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes using general linear models, adjusting for age, sex, and total intracranial volume. Group-by-sex and group-by-age interactions, and DSM-subtype comparisons (childhood-onset vs adolescent-onset, and low vs high levels of callous-unemotional traits) were investigated. People with lived experience of conduct disorder were not involved in this study. FINDINGS We collated individual participant data from 1185 young people with conduct disorder (339 [28·6%] female and 846 [71·4%] male) and 1253 typically developing young people (446 [35·6%] female and 807 [64·4%] male), with a mean age of 13·5 years (SD 3·0; range 7-21). Information on race and ethnicity was not available. Relative to typically developing young people, the conduct disorder group had lower surface area in 26 cortical regions and lower total surface area (Cohen's d 0·09-0·26). Cortical thickness differed in the caudal anterior cingulate cortex (d 0·16) and the banks of the superior temporal sulcus (d -0·13). The conduct disorder group also had smaller amygdala (d 0·13), nucleus accumbens (d 0·11), thalamus (d 0·14), and hippocampus (d 0·12) volumes. Most differences remained significant after adjusting for ADHD comorbidity or intelligence quotient. No group-by-sex or group-by-age interactions were detected. Few differences were found between DSM-defined conduct disorder subtypes. However, individuals with high callous-unemotional traits showed more widespread differences compared with controls than those with low callous-unemotional traits. INTERPRETATION Our findings provide robust evidence of subtle yet widespread brain structural alterations in conduct disorder across subtypes and sexes, mostly in surface area. These findings provide further evidence that brain alterations might contribute to conduct disorder. Greater consideration of this under-recognised disorder is needed in research and clinical practice. FUNDING Academy of Medical Sciences and Economic and Social Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidian Gao
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Lee Y, Chahal R, Gotlib IH. The default mode network is associated with changes in internalizing and externalizing problems differently in adolescent boys and girls. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:834-843. [PMID: 36847268 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Internalizing and externalizing problems that emerge during adolescence differentially increase boys' and girls' risk for developing psychiatric disorders. It is not clear, however, whether there are sex differences in the intrinsic functional architecture of the brain that underlie changes in the severity of internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents. Using resting-state fMRI data and self-reports of behavioral problems obtained from 128 adolescents (73 females; 9-14 years old) at two timepoints, we conducted multivoxel pattern analysis to identify resting-state functional connectivity markers at baseline that predict changes in the severity of internalizing and externalizing problems in boys and girls 2 years later. We found sex-differentiated involvement of the default mode network in changes in internalizing and externalizing problems. Whereas changes in internalizing problems were associated with the dorsal medial subsystem in boys and with the medial temporal subsystem in girls, changes in externalizing problems were predicted by hyperconnectivity between core nodes of the DMN and frontoparietal network in boys and hypoconnectivity between the DMN and affective networks in girls. Our results suggest that different neural mechanisms predict changes in internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescent boys and girls and offer insights concerning mechanisms that underlie sex differences in the expression of psychopathology in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonji Lee
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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3
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Li J, Wang X, Liu M, Yin Y, Wu Y, Xu G, Ma X. Sex-specific grey matter abnormalities in individuals with chronic insomnia. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:2301-2310. [PMID: 38063921 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07224-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported sex differences in altered brain function in patients with chronic insomnia (CI). However, sex-related alterations in brain morphology have rarely been investigated. This study aimed to investigate sex-specific grey matter (GM) alterations in patients with CI and to examine the relationship between GM alterations and neuropsychological assessments. Ninety-three (65 females and 28 males) patients and 78 healthy (50 females and 28 males) controls were recruited. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were analysed using voxel-based morphometry to test for interactions between sex and diagnosis. Spearman's correlation was used to assess the associations among structure, disease duration, and sleep-, mood-, and cognition-related assessments. Males with CI showed reduced GM volume in the left inferior parietal lobe, left middle cingulate cortex, and right supramarginal gyrus. Females with CI showed increased GM volume in the right Rolandic operculum. Moreover, mood-related assessments were negatively correlated with GM volumes in the right supramarginal gyrus and left inferior parietal lobe in the male patients, and cognitive-related assessments were positively correlated with GM volumes in the Rolandic operculum in the female patients. Our findings indicate sex-specific alterations in brain morphology in CI, thereby broadening our understanding of sex differences in CI and potentially providing complementary evidence for the development of more effective therapies and individual treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Li
- Department of Nuclear medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, No.466 Road XinGang, Guangzhou, 510317, P. R. China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medial University, No. 253 Industrial Avenue Central, Guangzhou, 510260, P. R. China
| | - Xinzhi Wang
- Department of Nuclear medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, No.466 Road XinGang, Guangzhou, 510317, P. R. China
| | - Mengchen Liu
- Department of Nuclear medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, No.466 Road XinGang, Guangzhou, 510317, P. R. China
| | - Yi Yin
- Department of Nuclear medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, No.466 Road XinGang, Guangzhou, 510317, P. R. China
| | - Yunfan Wu
- Department of Nuclear medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, No.466 Road XinGang, Guangzhou, 510317, P. R. China
| | - Guang Xu
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, No.466 Road XinGang, Guangzhou, 510317, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofen Ma
- Department of Nuclear medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, No.466 Road XinGang, Guangzhou, 510317, P. R. China.
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medial University, No. 253 Industrial Avenue Central, Guangzhou, 510260, P. R. China.
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4
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Ding K, Xu M, Huang T, Song Y, Kong F, Zhen Z. Sex dimorphic cortical brain volumes associated with antisocial behavior in young adults. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2023; 3:kkad031. [PMID: 38666132 PMCID: PMC10917369 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Although sex differences in antisocial behavior are well-documented, the extent to which neuroanatomical differences are related to sex differences in antisocial behavior is unclear. The inconsistent results from different clinical populations exhibiting antisocial behaviors are mainly due to the heterogeneity in etiologies, comorbidity inequality, and small sample size, especially in females. Objective The study aimed to find sexual dimorphic brain regions associated with individual differences in antisocial behavior while avoiding the issues of heterogeneity and sample size. Methods We collected structural neuroimaging data from 281 college students (131 males, 150 females) and analyzed the data using voxel-based morphometry. Results The gray matter volume in three brain regions correlates with self-reported antisocial behavior in males and females differently: the posterior superior temporal sulcus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus. The findings have controlled for the total cortical gray matter volume, age, IQ, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, we found a common neural substrate of antisocial behavior in both males and females, extending from the anterior temporal lobe to the insula. Conclusion This is the first neuroanatomical evidence from a large non-clinical sample of young adults. The study suggests that differences in males and females in reading social cues, understanding intentions and emotions, and responding to conflicts may contribute to the modulation of brain morphometry concerning antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Ding
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Miao Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Taicheng Huang
- Department of Psychology and Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yiying Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng Kong
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Zonglei Zhen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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5
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Werhahn JE, Smigielski L, Sacu S, Mohl S, Willinger D, Naaijen J, Mulder LM, Glennon JC, Hoekstra PJ, Dietrich A, Deters RK, Aggensteiner PM, Holz NE, Baumeister S, Banaschewski T, Saam MC, Schulze UME, Lythgoe DJ, Sethi A, Craig M, Mastroianni M, Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Santosh PJ, Rosa M, Bargallo N, Castro-Fornieles J, Arango C, Penzol MJ, Zwiers MP, Franke B, Buitelaar JK, Walitza S, Brandeis D. Different whole-brain functional connectivity correlates of reactive-proactive aggression and callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents with disruptive behaviors. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 40:103542. [PMID: 37988996 PMCID: PMC10701077 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disruptive behavior in children and adolescents can manifest as reactive aggression and proactive aggression and is modulated by callous-unemotional traits and other comorbidities. Neural correlates of these aggression dimensions or subtypes and comorbid symptoms remain largely unknown. This multi-center study investigated the relationship between resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and aggression subtypes considering comorbidities. METHODS The large sample of children and adolescents aged 8-18 years (n = 207; mean age = 13.30±2.60 years, 150 males) included 118 cases with disruptive behavior (80 with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and/or Conduct Disorder) and 89 controls. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety symptom scores were analyzed as covariates when assessing group differences and dimensional aggression effects on hypothesis-free global and local voxel-to-voxel whole-brain rsFC based on functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla. RESULTS Compared to controls, the cases demonstrated altered rsFC in frontal areas, when anxiety but not ADHD symptoms were controlled for. For cases, reactive and proactive aggression scores were related to global and local rsFC in the central gyrus and precuneus, regions linked to aggression-related impairments. Callous-unemotional trait severity was correlated with ICC in the inferior and middle temporal regions implicated in empathy, emotion, and reward processing. Most observed aggression subtype-specific patterns could only be identified when ADHD and anxiety were controlled for. CONCLUSIONS This study clarifies that hypothesis-free brain connectivity measures can disentangle distinct though overlapping dimensions of aggression in youths. Moreover, our results highlight the importance of considering comorbid symptoms to detect aggression-related rsFC alterations in youths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Werhahn
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukasz Smigielski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Seda Sacu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Susanna Mohl
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Willinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jilly Naaijen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Leandra M Mulder
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey C Glennon
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Conway Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Research, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pieter J Hoekstra
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Dietrich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Renee Kleine Deters
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal M Aggensteiner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nathalie E Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sarah Baumeister
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Melanie C Saam
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ulrike M E Schulze
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - David J Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arjun Sethi
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Craig
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mathilde Mastroianni
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ilyas Sagar-Ouriaghli
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paramala J Santosh
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mireia Rosa
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Bargallo
- Clinic Image Diagnostic Center (CDIC), Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Magnetic Resonance Image Core Facility, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute Clinic of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, CIBERSAM, IDIBAPS, Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria J Penzol
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcel P Zwiers
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Departments of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center. Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Walitza
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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6
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Tkalcec A, Bierlein M, Seeger-Schneider G, Walitza S, Jenny B, Menks WM, Felhbaum LV, Borbas R, Cole DM, Raschle N, Herbrecht E, Stadler C, Cubillo A. Empathy deficits, callous-unemotional traits and structural underpinnings in autism spectrum disorder and conduct disorder youth. Autism Res 2023; 16:1946-1962. [PMID: 37548142 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Distinct empathy deficits are often described in patients with conduct disorder (CD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) yet their neural underpinnings and the influence of comorbid Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are unclear. This study compares the cognitive (CE) and affective empathy (AE) abilities of youth with CD and ASD, their potential neuroanatomical correlates, and the influence of CU traits on empathy. Adolescents and parents/caregivers completed empathy questionnaires (N = 148 adolescents, mean age = 15.16 years) and T1 weighted images were obtained from a subsample (N = 130). Group differences in empathy and the influence of CU traits were investigated using Bayesian analyses and Voxel-Based Morphometry with Threshold-Free Cluster Enhancement focusing on regions involved in AE (insula, amygdala, inferior frontal gyrus and cingulate cortex) and CE processes (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, superior temporal gyrus, and precuneus). The ASD group showed lower parent-reported AE and CE scores and lower self-reported CE scores while the CD group showed lower parent-reported CE scores than controls. When accounting for the influence of CU traits no AE deficits in ASD and CE deficits in CD were found, but CE deficits in ASD remained. Across all participants, CU traits were negatively associated with gray matter volumes in anterior cingulate which extends into the mid cingulate, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and precuneus. Thus, although co-occurring CU traits have been linked to global empathy deficits in reports and underlying brain structures, its influence on empathy aspects might be disorder-specific. Investigating the subdimensions of empathy may therefore help to identify disorder-specific empathy deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Tkalcec
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maria Bierlein
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gudrun Seeger-Schneider
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Walitza
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bettina Jenny
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Willeke M Menks
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Psychology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lynn V Felhbaum
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reka Borbas
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David M Cole
- Translational Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nora Raschle
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Evelyn Herbrecht
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christina Stadler
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ana Cubillo
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
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Ibrahim K, Kalvin C, Morand-Beaulieu S, He G, Pelphrey KA, McCarthy G, Sukhodolsky DG. Amygdala-prefrontal connectivity in children with maladaptive aggression is modulated by social impairment. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4371-4385. [PMID: 35059702 PMCID: PMC9574236 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is common across childhood-onset psychiatric disorders and is associated with impairments in social cognition and communication. The present study examined whether amygdala connectivity and reactivity during face emotion processing in children with maladaptive aggression are moderated by social impairment. This cross-sectional study included a well-characterized transdiagnostic sample of 101 children of age 8-16 years old with clinically significant levels of aggressive behavior and 32 typically developing children without aggressive behavior. Children completed a face emotion perception task of fearful and calm faces during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Aggressive behavior and social functioning were measured by standardized parent ratings. Relative to controls, children with aggressive behavior showed reduced connectivity between the amygdala and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) during implicit emotion processing. In children with aggressive behavior, the association between reduced amygdala-ventrolateral PFC connectivity and greater severity of aggression was moderated by greater social impairment. Amygdala reactivity to fearful faces was also associated with severity of aggressive behavior for children without social deficits but not for children with social deficits. Social impairments entail difficulties in interpreting social cues and enacting socially appropriate responses to frustration or provocation, which increase the propensity for an aggressive response via diminished connectivity between the amygdala and the ventral PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Ibrahim
- Address correspondence to Karim Ibrahim, PsyD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. ; Denis G. Sukhodolsky, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Carla Kalvin
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | | | - George He
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Gregory McCarthy
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Denis G Sukhodolsky
- Address correspondence to Karim Ibrahim, PsyD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. ; Denis G. Sukhodolsky, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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Deming P, Heilicher M, Koenigs M. How reliable are amygdala findings in psychopathy? A systematic review of MRI studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104875. [PMID: 36116578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a key component in predominant neural circuitry models of psychopathy. Yet, after two decades of neuroimaging research on psychopathy, the reproducibility of amygdala findings is questionable. We systematically reviewed MRI studies (81 of adults, 53 of juveniles) to determine the consistency of amygdala findings across studies, as well as within specific types of experimental tasks, community versus forensic populations, and the lowest- versus highest-powered studies. Three primary findings emerged. First, the majority of studies found null relationships between psychopathy and amygdala structure and function, even in the context of theoretically relevant tasks. Second, findings of reduced amygdala activity were more common in studies with low compared to high statistical power. Third, the majority of peak coordinates of reduced amygdala activity did not fall primarily within the anatomical bounds of the amygdala. Collectively, these findings demonstrate significant gaps in the empirical support for the theorized role of the amygdala in psychopathy and indicate the need for novel research perspectives and approaches in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Deming
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Mickela Heilicher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd., Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Michael Koenigs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd., Madison, WI 53719, USA
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9
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The neurobiology of antisocial behavior in adolescence current knowledge and relevance for youth forensic clinical practice. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 47:101356. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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10
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Sukhodolsky DG, Ibrahim K, Kalvin CB, Jordan RP, Eilbott J, Hampson M. Increased amygdala and decreased frontolimbic r esting- s tate functional connectivity in children with aggressive behavior. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:634-644. [PMID: 34850939 PMCID: PMC9250305 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood maladaptive aggression is associated with disrupted functional connectivity within amygdala-prefrontal circuitry. In this study, neural correlates of childhood aggression were probed using the intrinsic connectivity distribution, a voxel-wise metric of global resting-state brain connectivity. This sample included 38 children with aggressive behavior (26 boys, 12 girls) ages 8-16 years and 21 healthy controls (14 boys, 6 girls) matched for age and IQ. Functional MRI data were acquired during resting state, and differential patterns of intrinsic functional connectivity were tested in a priori regions of interest implicated in the pathophysiology of aggressive behavior. Next, correlational analyses tested for associations between functional connectivity and severity of aggression measured by the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in children with aggression. Children with aggressive behavior showed increased global connectivity in the bilateral amygdala relative to controls. Greater severity of aggressive behavior was associated with decreasing global connectivity in the dorsal anterior cingulate and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Follow-up seed analysis revealed that aggression was also positively correlated with left amygdala connectivity with the dorsal anterior cingulate, ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortical regions. These results highlight the potential role of connectivity of the amygdala and medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices in modulating the severity of aggressive behavior in treatment-seeking children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis G Sukhodolsky
- Correspondence should be addressed to Denis G. Sukhodolsky, Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. E-mail:
| | - Karim Ibrahim
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Carla B Kalvin
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Rebecca P Jordan
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jeffrey Eilbott
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA,SurveyBott Consulting, Guilford, CT 06437, USA
| | - Michelle Hampson
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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