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Blankenstein NE, de Rooij M, van Ginkel J, Wilderjans TF, de Ruigh EL, Oldenhof HC, Zijlmans J, Jambroes T, Platje E, de Vries-Bouw M, Branje S, Meeus WHJ, Vermeiren RRJM, Popma A, Jansen LMC. Neurobiological correlates of antisociality across adolescence and young adulthood: a multi-sample, multi-method study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1834-1849. [PMID: 34446120 PMCID: PMC10106306 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721003457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antisociality across adolescence and young adulthood puts individuals at high risk of developing a variety of problems. Prior research has linked antisociality to autonomic nervous system and endocrinological functioning. However, there is large heterogeneity in antisocial behaviors, and these neurobiological measures are rarely studied conjointly, limited to small specific studies with narrow age ranges, and yield mixed findings due to the type of behavior examined. METHODS We harmonized data from 1489 participants (9-27 years, 67% male), from six heterogeneous samples. In the resulting dataset, we tested relations between distinct dimensions of antisociality and heart rate, pre-ejection period (PEP), respiratory sinus arrhythmia, respiration rate, skin conductance levels, testosterone, basal cortisol, and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and test the role of age throughout adolescence and young adulthood. RESULTS Three dimensions of antisociality were uncovered: 'callous-unemotional (CU)/manipulative traits', 'intentional aggression/conduct', and 'reactivity/impulsivity/irritability'. Shorter PEPs and higher testosterone were related to CU/manipulative traits, and a higher CAR is related to both CU/manipulative traits and intentional aggression/conduct. These effects were stable across age. CONCLUSIONS Across a heterogeneous sample and consistent across development, the CAR may be a valuable measure to link to CU/manipulative traits and intentional aggression, while sympathetic arousal and testosterone are additionally valuable to understand CU/manipulative traits. Together, these findings deepen our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying different components of antisociality. Finally, we illustrate the potential of using current statistical techniques for combining multiple datasets to draw robust conclusions about biobehavioral associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeltje E. Blankenstein
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mark de Rooij
- Unit of Methodology and Statistics, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Joost van Ginkel
- Unit of Methodology and Statistics, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tom F. Wilderjans
- Unit of Methodology and Statistics, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Esther L. de Ruigh
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Helena C. Oldenhof
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Josjan Zijlmans
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tijs Jambroes
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Susan Branje
- Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Wim H. J. Meeus
- Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Robert R. J. M. Vermeiren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium-Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lucres M. C. Jansen
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Kempes M. Added value of neurotechnology for forensic psychiatric and psychological assessment. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:217-232. [PMID: 37633712 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00015-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The attention for neuroscience in relation to criminal behavior is growing rapidly, and research shows that neurobiological factors have added value to the understanding of psychological and social factors in explaining delinquency. There is evidence that neurotechnology can be used in criminal justice and may be of relevance for forensic psychiatric and psychological assessment. However, the question is whether scientific knowledge of neurobiological factors is applicable in daily practice of forensic assessment. Incorporation of basic technologies, e.g., psychophysiology (heart rate, skin conductance, wearables), hormonal measures (cortisol, testosterone), and neuropsychological testing might be evident, since they can be applied relatively easy. Moreover, a body of research shows the additive value of these technologies in this field. In addition, first steps are taken to apply these technologies in individual diagnostics, treatment, and risk assessment. Complex neurotechnologies like functional MRI (e.g., brain reading) and EEG show potential to be applicable in criminal justice, once it is known what additional information these indices offer for individual cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike Kempes
- Department of Science and Education, Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Loh WW, Kim JS. Evaluating sensitivity to classification uncertainty in latent subgroup effect analyses. BMC Med Res Methodol 2022; 22:247. [PMID: 36153493 PMCID: PMC9508766 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-022-01720-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increasing attention is being given to assessing treatment effect heterogeneity among individuals belonging to qualitatively different latent subgroups. Inference routinely proceeds by first partitioning the individuals into subgroups, then estimating the subgroup-specific average treatment effects. However, because the subgroups are only latently associated with the observed variables, the actual individual subgroup memberships are rarely known with certainty in practice and thus have to be imputed. Ignoring the uncertainty in the imputed memberships precludes misclassification errors, potentially leading to biased results and incorrect conclusions. Methods We propose a strategy for assessing the sensitivity of inference to classification uncertainty when using such classify-analyze approaches for subgroup effect analyses. We exploit each individual’s typically nonzero predictive or posterior subgroup membership probabilities to gauge the stability of the resultant subgroup-specific average causal effects estimates over different, carefully selected subsets of the individuals. Because the membership probabilities are subject to sampling variability, we propose Monte Carlo confidence intervals that explicitly acknowledge the imprecision in the estimated subgroup memberships via perturbations using a parametric bootstrap. The proposal is widely applicable and avoids stringent causal or structural assumptions that existing bias-adjustment or bias-correction methods rely on. Results Using two different publicly available real-world datasets, we illustrate how the proposed strategy supplements existing latent subgroup effect analyses to shed light on the potential impact of classification uncertainty on inference. First, individuals are partitioned into latent subgroups based on their medical and health history. Then within each fixed latent subgroup, the average treatment effect is assessed using an augmented inverse propensity score weighted estimator. Finally, utilizing the proposed sensitivity analysis reveals different subgroup-specific effects that are mostly insensitive to potential misclassification. Conclusions Our proposed sensitivity analysis is straightforward to implement, provides both graphical and numerical summaries, and readily permits assessing the sensitivity of any machine learning-based causal effect estimator to classification uncertainty. We recommend making such sensitivity analyses more routine in latent subgroup effect analyses. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-022-01720-8.
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Vandenbroucke ARE, Crone EA, van Erp JBF, Güroğlu B, Hulshoff Pol HE, de Kogel CH, Krabbendam L, Jansen LMC, Brouwer AM. Integrating Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience in Society: Lessons Learned From a Multidisciplinary Research Project on Education and Social Safety of Youth. Front Integr Neurosci 2021; 15:756640. [PMID: 34880735 PMCID: PMC8645937 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.756640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrating fundamental science in society, with the goal to translate research findings to daily practice, comes with certain challenges. Successfully integrating research projects into society requires (1) good collaboration between scientists and societal stakeholders, (2) collaboration partners with common expectations and goals, and (3) investment in clear communication. Here we describe an integrative research project conducted by a large Dutch consortium that consisted of neuroscientists, psychologists, sociologists, ethicists, teachers, health care professionals and policy makers, focusing on applying cognitive developmental neuroscience for the benefit of youth in education and social safety. We argue that to effectively integrate cognitive developmental neuroscience in society, (1) it is necessary to invest in a well-functioning, diverse and multidisciplinary team involving societal stakeholders and youth themselves from the start of the project. This aids to build a so-called productive interactive network that increases the chances to realize societal impact in the long-term. Additionally, we propose that to integrate knowledge, (2) a different than standard research approach should be taken. When focusing on integration, the ultimate goal of research is not solely to understand the world better, but also to intervene with real-life situations, such as education or (forensic) youth care. To accomplish this goal, we propose an approach in which integration is not only started after the research has been conducted, but taken into account throughout the entire project. This approach helps to create common expectations and goals between different stakeholders. Finally, we argue that (3) dedicating sufficient resources to effective communication, both within the consortium and between scientists and society, greatly benefits the integration of cognitive developmental neuroscience in society.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eveline A. Crone
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan B. F. van Erp
- TNO, Soesterberg, Netherlands
- Human Media Interaction, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Berna Güroğlu
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Catherina H. de Kogel
- Research and Documentation Centre, Ministry of Justice and Security, Den Haag, Netherlands
- Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lydia Krabbendam
- Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Free University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lucres M. C. Jansen
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Duindam HM, Williams DP, Asscher JJ, Hoeve M, Thayer JF, Creemers HE. Heart-wired to be cold? Exploring cardiac markers of callous-unemotional traits in incarcerated offenders. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 170:168-177. [PMID: 34666106 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits have been repeatedly identified in a subgroup of offenders that displays severe antisocial behavior; establishing physiological markers may help improve early identification and treatment efforts. This study examines to what extent baseline-resting heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) can be used as markers of CU in incarcerated juvenile and adult offenders. CU traits were assessed using the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits. Results of the multiple hierarchical regression tests indicated that there was a small yet significant positive association between baseline HR and CU and negative association between HRV and CU in juvenile offenders with medium model effect sizes (R2 = 0.115 for HR-CU; R2 = 0.126 for HRV-CU). The cardiac markers were unrelated to CU in adult offenders. These findings are important because they demonstrate that impaired cardiac autonomic activity is related to CU traits in juveniles, suggesting that socioemotional processing difficulties should be considered in understanding these deficits. Future research should be conducted in large samples, under reactive and static conditions, while including cardiac covariates, to get more clarity on the interplay between biological systems and behavioral expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne M Duindam
- Utrecht University, Clinical Child and Family Studies, Netherlands.
| | - DeWayne P Williams
- University of California-Irvine, Department of Psychological Sciences, United States
| | - Jessica J Asscher
- University of Amsterdam, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Netherlands; Utrecht University, Clinical Child and Family Studies, Netherlands
| | - Machteld Hoeve
- University of Amsterdam, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Netherlands
| | - Julian F Thayer
- University of California-Irvine, Department of Psychological Sciences, United States
| | - Hanneke E Creemers
- University of Amsterdam, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Netherlands
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