Sex matters: association between callous-unemotional traits and uncinate fasciculus microstructure in youths with conduct disorder
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Among youths with conduct disorder, those with callous-unemotional traits are at increased risk for persistent antisocial behaviour. Although callous-unemotional traits have been found to be associated with white-matter brain abnormalities, previous diffusion imaging studies were conducted in small samples, preventing examination of potential sex by callous-unemotional traits interaction effects on white matter. Here, we used tract-based spatial statistics at a whole-brain level and within regions of interest to compare the white matter correlates of callous-unemotional traits in female vs. male youths with conduct disorder, in a sample (n = 124) recruited through a multi-site protocol. A sex-specific association between callous-unemotional traits and white matter was found in the left uncinate fasciculus, where callous-unemotional traits were positively associated with axial diffusivity in males, while an opposite pattern was found in females. These findings are in line with previous studies suggesting that the uncinate fasciculus is a key tract implicated in the development of psychopathy, but also add to recent evidence showing that sexual dimorphism needs to be taken into account when examining the structural correlates of mental disorders in general, and callous-unemotional traits in conduct disorder in particular.
Details
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 263-269 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Brain imaging and behavior |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2022 |
Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
Scopus | 85113219818 |
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ORCID | /0000-0003-2408-2939/work/172086002 |
Keywords
Sustainable Development Goals
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- Adolescent, Antisocial Personality Disorder/diagnostic imaging, Conduct Disorder/diagnostic imaging, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Uncinate Fasciculus, White Matter/diagnostic imaging, Conduct disorder, Sex differences, Uncinate fasciculus, Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), FemNAT-CD, Callous-unemotional traits