Abstract
Purpose: Developmental taxonomic theory posits that formation of early-onset conduct disorder (EO-CD), is considered to have a neurodevelopmental etiology and have more severe psychosocial and neuropsychological dysfunction than adolescent-onset CD (AO-CD), which is thought to stem largely from social mimicry of deviant peers. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether regional homogeneity (ReHo), denoting the spontaneous brain activity, supports developmental taxonomic theory in a resting state (rs).Materials and Methods: Rs-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examinations were administered to 36 EO-CD patients, 32 AO-CD patients, and 30 healthy controls (HCs). All participants were male adolescents, aged between 12 and 17 years old. A one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with age and IQ as covariates, was performed to identify regions with significant group differences in ReHo values, followed by a post hoc analyses.Results: Compared with the AO-CD groups, EO-CD had higher ReHo values in the right middle/inferior frontal gyrus. Compared with the HCs, the EO-CD group exhibited lower ReHo values in the left precuneus, left middle occipital gyrus, left cerebellum posterior lobe and the right inferior parietal lobule, as well as higher ReHo values in the right middle frontal gyrus, left insula/inferior frontal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and the left anterior cingulate gyrus. Compared with the HCs, the AO-CD group showed lower ReHo values in the bilateral precuneus, left cerebellum posterior lobe, and the right inferior parietal lobule.Conclusion: Significant differences in ReHo were observed between the EO-CD and AO-CD groups, implying distinct neuropathological mechanisms of the two CD subtypes, consistent with developmental taxonomic theory. CD-associated abnormalities in ReHo may be related to high-order cognitive and low-level perceptual system impairments in CD.
Highlights
Conduct disorder (CD) is a common psychiatric disorder in childhood and adolescence, characterized by persistent aggressive and antisocial behaviors, such as violating the basic rights of others, lying, stealing, and truancy (Segal, 2000)
The study groups differed in BIS total scores, BIS motor/non-planned subscale scores, and callous unemotional trait scores (F = 9.46, p < 0.001; F = 7.79, p < 0.001; F = 9.02, p < 0.001; F = 12.66, p < 0.001, respectively), with CD subtypes reporting significantly higher scores than healthy controls (HCs) on these four measures (p < 0.001)
All of these scores except the motor impulsivity sub score were significantly higher in the early-onset CD (EO-CD) group than in the adolescent-onset CD (AO-CD) group (p < 0.05)
Summary
Conduct disorder (CD) is a common psychiatric disorder in childhood and adolescence, characterized by persistent aggressive and antisocial behaviors, such as violating the basic rights of others, lying, stealing, and truancy (Segal, 2000). According to the developmental taxonomic theory, it has been supposed that the etiology of EO-CD is strongly related to neurodevelopmental processes, whereas AO-CD may be a consequence of the social learning of bad behaviors from a peer group and the motivation to gain more adult privileges (Moffitt, 1993). Relative to AO-CD, EO-CD is characterized by a more severe pattern of aggressive and antisocial behaviors and a greater risk of developing antisocial personality disorder in adulthood (Moffitt et al, 2002). AO-CD is related to a gap between biological maturity and social maturity, influenced by deviant peer group pressures (Moffitt, 1993)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
