Research article summary (published 13 Feb 2008):

Reduced amygdala response to fearful expressions in children and adolescents with callous-unemotional traits and disruptive behavior disorders.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
Extensive work implicates abnormal amygdala activation in emotional facial expression processing in adults with callous-unemotional traits. However, no research has examined amygdala response to emotional facial expressions in adolescents with disruptive behavior and callous-unemotional traits. Moreover, despite high comorbidity of callous-unemotional traits and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), no research has attempted to distinguish neural correlates of pediatric callous-unemotional traits and ADHD.

METHOD:
Participants were 36 children and adolescents (ages 10-17 years); 12 had callous-unemotional traits and either conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder, 12 had ADHD, and 12 were healthy comparison subjects. Functional MRI was used to assess amygdala activation patterns during processing of fearful facial expressions. Patterns in the callous-unemotional traits group were compared with those in the ADHD and comparison groups.

RESULTS:
In youths with callous-unemotional traits, amygdala activation was reduced relative to healthy comparison subjects and youths with ADHD while processing fearful expressions, but not neutral or angry expressions. Functional connectivity analyses demonstrated greater correlations between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in comparison subjects and youths with ADHD relative to those with callous-unemotional traits. Symptom severity in the callous-unemotional traits groups was negatively correlated with connectivity between amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

CONCLUSIONS:
This is the first study to demonstrate reduced amygdala responsiveness in youths with callous-unemotional traits. These findings support the contention that callous and unemotional personality traits are associated with reduced amygdala response to distress-based social cues.

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Author information

Author/s: Marsh, Abigail A (AA); Finger, Elizabeth C (EC); Mitchell, Derek G V (DG); Reid, Marguerite E (ME); Sims, Courtney (C); Kosson, David S (DS); Towbin, Kenneth E (KE); Leibenluft, Ellen (E); Pine, Daniel S (DS); Blair, R J R (RJ);

Affiliation: Mood and Anxiety Program, NIMH, 15K North Dr., MSC 2670, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. amarsh(-atsign-)post.harvard.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

Journal: The American journal of psychiatry (Am J Psychiatry), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jun; vol 165 (issue 6) : pp 712-20

Dates: Created 2008/06/03; Completed 2008/06/25; Revised 2008/08/07;

PMID: 18281412, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Jun;165(6):668-70. (PMID: 18519530)

ErratumIn: Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;165(7):920.

ErratumIn: Am J Psychiatry. 2008 May;165(5):652.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Amygdala - physiopathology Anger - physiology Arousal - physiology Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; physiopathology; psychology Child Cues Empathy Facial Expression Fear - physiology Female

Female Humans Image Processing, Computer-Assisted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Male Neural Pathways - physiology Oxygen - blood Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology Personal Construct Theory Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology Reference Values

Associated Chemicals: Oxygen (7782-44-7)

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