Callous-unemotional traits and brain structure: Sex-specific effects in anterior insula of typically-developing youths

نویسندگان

  • Nora Maria Raschle
  • Willeke Martine Menks
  • Lynn Valérie Fehlbaum
  • Martin Steppan
  • Areti Smaragdi
  • Karen Gonzalez-Madruga
  • Jack Rogers
  • Roberta Clanton
  • Gregor Kohls
  • Anne Martinelli
  • Anka Bernhard
  • Kerstin Konrad
  • Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann
  • Christine M. Freitag
  • Graeme Fairchild
  • Stephane A. De Brito
  • Christina Stadler
چکیده

Callous-unemotional traits are characterized by a lack of empathy, a disregard for others' feelings and shallow or deficient affect, such as a lack of remorse or guilt. Neuroanatomical correlates of callous-unemotional traits have been demonstrated in clinical samples (i.e., adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders). However, it is unknown whether callous-unemotional traits are associated with neuroanatomical correlates within normative populations without clinical levels of aggression or antisocial behavior. Here we investigated the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and gray matter volume using voxel-based morphometry in a large sample of typically-developing boys and girls (N = 189). Whole-brain multiple regression analyses controlling for site, total intracranial volume, and age were conducted in the whole sample and in boys and girls individually. Results revealed that sex and callous-unemotional traits interacted to predict gray matter volume when considering the whole sample. This interaction was driven by a significant positive correlation between callous-unemotional traits and bilateral anterior insula volume in boys, but not girls. Insula gray matter volume explained 19% of the variance in callous-unemotional traits for boys. Our results demonstrate that callous-unemotional traits are related to variations in brain structure beyond psychiatric samples. This association was observed for boys only, underlining the importance of considering sex as a factor in future research designs. Future longitudinal studies should determine whether these findings hold over childhood and adolescence, and whether the neuroanatomical correlates of callous-unemotional traits are predictive of future psychiatric vulnerability. General scientific summary This study suggests that callous-unemotional traits have a neuroanatomical correlate within typically developing boys, but not girls. Bilateral anterior insula volume explains up to 19% of the variance in callous-unemotional traits in boys.

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عنوان ژورنال:

دوره 17  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2018