Sex matters: association between callous-unemotional traits and uncinate fasciculus microstructure in youths with conduct disorder

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Thomas Villemonteix - , Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale (LAPPS) (Author)
  • Jack C Rogers - , University of Alabama at Birmingham (Author)
  • Ophélie Courbet - , Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale (LAPPS) (Author)
  • Karen Gonzalez-Madruga - , University of Southampton (Author)
  • Gregor Kohls - , Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Child Neuropsychology Section, University Hospital Aachen (Author)
  • Nora M Raschle - , University of Basel (Author)
  • Christina Stadler - , University of Basel (Author)
  • Kerstin Konrad - , University Hospital Aachen (Author)
  • Christine M Freitag - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Graeme Fairchild - , University of Southampton (Author)
  • Stéphane A De Brito - , University of Alabama at Birmingham (Author)

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)263-269
Number of pages7
JournalBrain imaging and behavior
Volume16
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85113219818
ORCID /0000-0003-2408-2939/work/172086002

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

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