Objective

Studies using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate white matter (WM) microstructure in youths with conduct disorder (CD) have reported disparate findings. We investigated WM alterations in a large sample of youths with CD, and examined the influence of sex and callous-unemotional (CU) traits.

Method

DTI data were acquired from 124 youths with CD (59 female) and 174 typically developing (TD) youths (103 female) 9 to 18 years of age. Tract-based spatial statistics tested for effects of diagnosis and sex-by-diagnosis interactions. Associations with CD symptoms, CU traits, a task measuring impulsivity, and the impact of comorbidity, and age- and puberty-related effects were examined.

Results

Youths with CD exhibited higher axial diffusivity in the corpus callosum and lower radial diffusivity and mean diffusivity in the anterior thalamic radiation relative to TD youths. Female and male youths with CD exhibited opposite changes in the left hemisphere within the internal capsule, fornix, posterior thalamic radiation, and uncinate fasciculus. Within the CD group, CD symptoms and callous traits exerted opposing influences on corpus callosum axial diffusivity, with callous traits identified as the unique clinical feature predicting higher axial diffusivity and lower radial diffusivity within the corpus callosum and anterior thalamic radiation, respectively. In an exploratory analysis, corpus callosum axial diffusivity partially mediated the association between callous traits and impulsive responses to emotional faces. Results were not influenced by symptoms of comorbid disorders, and no age- or puberty-related interactions were observed.

Conclusion

WM alterations within the corpus callosum represent a reliable neuroimaging marker of CD. Sex and callous traits are important factors to consider when examining WM in CD.

中文翻译：

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品行障碍青年中的白色物质微观结构：性行为和性格变异的影响。

客观的

使用扩散张量成像（DTI）来研究行为障碍（CD）青年的白质（WM）微观结构的研究报告了不同的发现。我们调查了一大批患有CD的年轻人的WM改变，并研究了性行为和无性行为（CU）特质的影响。

方法

DTI数据是从124名CD青年（59名女性）和174名9至18岁的典型发展中（TD）青年（103名女性）中获得的。基于区域的空间统计数据对诊断和按性别进行诊断交互作用进行了测试。检查与CD症状，CU特性，测量冲动的任务以及合并症的影响以及与年龄和青春期相关的影响的关联。

结果

与TD青年相比，CD青年在call体中表现出更高的轴向扩散性，在前丘脑辐射中表现出更低的径向扩散性和平均扩散性。患有CD的男女青年在左半球内囊，穹ni，丘脑后部放射线和束状束中表现出相反的变化。在CD组中，CD症状和ous性状对on体轴向扩散性产生相反的影响，call性被确定为独特的临床特征，分别预测call体和前丘脑辐射中较高的轴向扩散性和较低的径向扩散性。在一项探索性分析中，call体轴向扩散性部分介导了call性状和对情绪面孔的冲动反应之间的联系。

结论

call体内的WM改变代表CD的可靠神经影像标记。在检查CD中的WM时，性和老茧特征是要考虑的重要因素。