Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Conduct Disorder and Cortical Structure in Adolescents - 26/07/17
Abstract |
Objective |
Previous studies have reported reduced cortical thickness and surface area and altered gyrification in frontal and temporal regions in adolescents with conduct disorder (CD). Although there is evidence that the clinical phenotype of CD differs between males and females, no studies have examined whether such sex differences extend to cortical and subcortical structure.
Method |
As part of a European multisite study (FemNAT-CD), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected from 48 female and 48 male participants with CD and from 104 sex-, age-, and pubertal-status−matched controls (14–18 years of age). Data were analyzed using surface-based morphometry, testing for effects of sex, diagnosis, and sex-by-diagnosis interactions, while controlling for age, IQ, scan site, and total gray matter volume.
Results |
CD was associated with cortical thinning and higher gyrification in ventromedial prefrontal cortex in both sexes. Males with CD showed lower, and females with CD showed higher, supramarginal gyrus cortical thickness compared with controls. Relative to controls, males with CD showed higher gyrification and surface area in superior frontal gyrus, whereas the opposite pattern was seen in females. There were no effects of diagnosis or sex-by-diagnosis interactions on subcortical volumes. Results are discussed with regard to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and substance abuse comorbidity, medication use, handedness, and CD age of onset.
Conclusion |
We found both similarities and differences between males and females in CD–cortical structure associations. This initial evidence that the pathophysiological basis of CD may be partly sex-specific highlights the need to consider sex in future neuroimaging studies and suggests that males and females may require different treatments.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Key words : conduct disorder, antisocial behavior, sex differences, brain structure, surface-based morphometry
Plan
This study was funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement no. 602407 (FemNAT-CD). The funding source had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication. |
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Preliminary data from this study were presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy, Chicago, USA, June 25–26, 2015, and the European Association for Forensic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Porto, Portugal, May 11–13, 2016. |
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Dr. Toschi served as the statistical expert for this research. |
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Disclosure: Dr. Konrad has received speaker fees from Shire Pharmaceuticals and Medice. Professor Sonuga-Barke has received speaker fees, research funding, and conference support from Shire Pharmaceuticals, speaker fees from Janssen Cilag and Medice, book royalties from Oxford University Press and Jessica Kingsley, and consultancy from Neurotech solutions, Aarhus University, Copenhagen University, and KU Leuven. He is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, for which he receives an honorarium. Dr. De Brito has received speaker fees from the Child Mental Health Centre and the Centre for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging. Drs. Smaragdi, Toschi, Riccelli, Rogers, Martin-Key, Puzzo, Sidlauskaite, Kohls, Raschle, Stadler, Freitag, Fairchild, and Mss. Cornwell, Gonzalez-Madruga, Wells, Clanton, Baker, Batchelor, Bernhard, Martinelli, and Baumann report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest. |
Vol 56 - N° 8
P. 703-712 - août 2017 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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