Abstract
Genetic, behavioural and functional neuroimaging studies have revealed that different vulnerabilities characterise children with conduct problems and high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/HCU) compared with children with conduct problems and low callous-unemotional traits (CP/LCU). We used voxel-based morphometry to study grey matter volume (GMV) in 89 male participants (aged 10–16), 60 of whom exhibited CP. The CP group was subdivided into CP/HCU (n = 29) and CP/LCU (n = 31). Whole-brain and regional GMV were compared across groups (CP vs. typically developing (TD) controls (n = 29); and CP/HCU vs. CP/LCU vs. TD). Whole-brain analyses showed reduced GMV in left middle frontal gyrus in the CP/HCU group compared with TD controls. Region-of-interest analyses showed reduced volume in bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in the CP group as a whole compared with TD controls. Reduced volume in left OFC was found to be driven by the CP/HCU group only, with significant reductions relative to both TD controls and the CP/LCU group, and no difference between these latter two groups. Within the CP group left OFC volume was significantly predicted by CU traits, but not conduct disorder symptoms. Reduced right anterior cingulate cortex volume was also found in CP/HCU compared with TD controls. Our results support previous findings indicating that GMV differences in brain regions central to decision-making and empathy are implicated in CP. However, they extend these data to suggest that some of these differences might specifically characterise the subgroup with CP/HCU, with GMV reduction in left OFC differentiating children with CP/HCU from those with CP/LCU.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10802-015-0073-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Genetic, behavioural and functional neuroimaging studies have revealed that different vulnerabilities characterise children with conduct problems and high levels of callousunemotional traits (CP/HCU) compared with children with conduct problems and low callous-unemotional traits (CP/ LCU)
We focused on four regions of interest previously associated with atypical structure and function in CP/HCU and adult psychopathy (OFC, amygdala, anterior insula (AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)), and predicted that structural differences in at least some of these regions would be driven by the CP/HCU group, with CP/LCU not differing from typically developing (TD) controls
Comparing CP/ HCU, CP/LCU and TD groups separately, CP/HCU exhibited reduced grey matter volume in the left middle frontal gyrus (x = −26, y = 20, z = 39; t = 5.1; k = 1; p = 0.046, FWEcorrected across the whole brain at the peak voxel level) in comparison to the TD controls (Fig. 1; in all Figures results are shown at p < 0.001, uncorrected for display purposes only)
Summary
Behavioural and functional neuroimaging studies have revealed that different vulnerabilities characterise children with conduct problems and high levels of callousunemotional traits (CP/HCU) compared with children with conduct problems and low callous-unemotional traits (CP/ LCU). Comparing CP/ HCU, CP/LCU and TD groups separately, CP/HCU exhibited reduced grey matter volume in the left middle frontal gyrus (x = −26, y = 20, z = 39; t = 5.1; k = 1; p = 0.046, FWEcorrected across the whole brain at the peak voxel level) in comparison to the TD controls (Fig. 1; in all Figures results are shown at p < 0.001, uncorrected for display purposes only).
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