Neurofunctional abnormalities in antisocial spectrum: A meta-analysis of fMRI studies on Five distinct neurocognitive research domains

Jules R Dugré,Joaquim Radua,Matthieu Carignan-Allard,Alexandre Dumais,Katya Rubia,Stéphane Potvin

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.013

Abstract

Past functional magnetic resonance imaging on antisocial subjects have shown important inconsistencies and methodological problems (e.g. heterogeneity in fMRI tasks domain, small sample sizes, analyses on regions-of-interest). We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of whole-brain fMRI studies on antisocial individuals based on distinct neurocognitive domains. A voxel-based meta-analysis via permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI) was performed on studies using fMRI tasks in the domains of acute threat response, cognitive control, social cognition, punishment and reward processing. Overall, 83 studies were retrieved. Using a liberal statistical threshold, several key regions were identified in the meta-analysis, principally during acute threat response, social cognition and cognitive control tasks. Additionally, we observed that the right amygdala was negatively associated with both callous-unemotional traits and severity of antisocial behaviors, in meta-analyses on region-of-interest and on dimensional studies, respectively. The findings show that the most prominent functional brain deficits arise during acute threat response, social cognitions and cognitive control neurocognitive domains. These results provide substantial insights for our understanding of aberrant neural processing across specific contexts.

Highlights

Conduct problems (CP) and its adult form, adult antisocial behaviors are usually defined as behaviors that frequently violate the rights of others
The findings show that the most prominent functional brain deficits arise during acute threat response, social cognitions and cognitive control neurocognitive domains
Articles were included if they met the following criteria: (1) original paper from a peer-reviewed journal, (2) inclusion of individuals with conduct/antisocial problems to disorder (CP/ASPD) without a comorbid major mental illness or organic impairment (3) use of functional magnetic reso nance imaging; (4) use of a fMRI task related to a) cognitive control; b) social cognition; c) reward processing; d) punishment processing or e) responses to threatening stimuli; 5) description of results from group comparisons (CP/ASPD versus HC) and/or dimensional associations with antisocial problems and/or callous-unemotional traits; 6) use of WB methodology and/or amygdala predefined ROIs analyses

Summary

Introduction

Conduct problems (CP) and its adult form, adult antisocial behaviors are usually defined as behaviors that frequently violate the rights of others (i.e. aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors). Developmental research suggests approximately 5% of children would display severe and persistent CP, meeting the criteria for conduct disorder (CD) (Bevilacqua et al, 2018). By studying antisocial problems as a dimensional construct (i.e. problems to antisocial personality disorder (CP/ASPD)), evidence from literature reviews suggests that individuals on the anti social spectrum show several deficits in brain functioning across various distinct neurocognitive domains (Blair et al, 2018; Blair, 2010; Byrd et al, 2014; Crowe and Blair, 2008; Del Casale et al, 2015; Glenn and Raine, 2008; Herpers et al, 2014; Seara-Cardoso and Viding, 2015; Wahlund and Kristiansson, 2009). It is crucial to better under stand the neurobiological impairments in antisocial subjects, across different contexts (i.e. specific neurocognitive research domains), in order to facilitate early prevention research

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Conclusion