The effects of callous-unemotional traits and aggression subtypes on amygdala activity in response to negative faces
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Brain imaging studies have shown altered amygdala activity during emotion processing in children and adolescents with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) compared to typically developing children and adolescents (TD). Here we aimed to assess whether aggression-related subtypes (reactive and proactive aggression) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits predicted variation in amygdala activity and skin conductance (SC) response during emotion processing. METHODS: We included 177 participants (n = 108 cases with disruptive behaviour and/or ODD/CD and n = 69 TD), aged 8-18 years, across nine sites in Europe, as part of the EU Aggressotype and MATRICS projects. All participants performed an emotional face-matching functional magnetic resonance imaging task. RESULTS: Differences between cases and TD in affective processing, as well as specificity of activation patterns for aggression subtypes and CU traits, were assessed. Simultaneous SC recordings were acquired in a subsample (n = 63). Cases compared to TDs showed higher amygdala activity in response to negative faces (fearful and angry) v. shapes. Subtyping cases according to aggression-related subtypes did not significantly influence on amygdala activity; while stratification based on CU traits was more sensitive and revealed decreased amygdala activity in the high CU group. SC responses were significantly lower in cases and negatively correlated with CU traits, reactive and proactive aggression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed differences in amygdala activity and SC responses to emotional faces between cases with ODD/CD and TD, while CU traits moderate both central (amygdala) and peripheral (SC) responses. Our insights regarding subtypes and trait-specific aggression could be used for improved diagnostics and personalized treatment.
Source: Psychological Medicine
Authors: Pascal-M Aggensteiner, Nathalie E. Holz, Boris W. Böttinger, Sarah Baumeister, Sarah Hohmann, Julia E. Werhahn, Jilly Naaijen, Shahrzad Ilbegi, Jeffrey C. Glennon, Pieter J. Hoekstra, Andrea Dietrich, Renee Kleine Deters, Melanie C. Saam, Ulrike M. E. Schulze, David J. Lythgoe, Arjun Sethi, Michael C. Craig, Mathilde Mastroianni, Ilyas Sagar-Ouriaghli, Paramala J. Santosh, Mireia Rosa, Nuria Bargallo, Josefina Castro-Fornieles, Celso Arango, Maria J. Penzol, Jorge Vidal, Barbara Franke, Marcel P. Zwiers, Jan K. Buitelaar, Susanne Walitza, Tobias Banaschewski, Daniel Brandeis
Institutions: Heidelberg University, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich, Radboud University Nijmegen, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Universität Ulm, University Hospital Ulm, King's College London, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Consorci Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi I Sunyer, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Universitat de Barcelona, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: Eli Lilly and Company, Brandeis University, Fundación Alicia Koplowitz, Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, University of Oxford, European Commission, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Gedeon Richter, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Universität Zürich, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Servier, H. Lundbeck A/S, Medical Research Council, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Cilag
OpenAlex ID: W3039460940