Young People With Conduct Disorder Have Widespread Volumetric Brain Differences

Individuals with conduct disorder display widespread cortical and subcortical volumetric brain alterations compared with typically developing young people, according to research findings published in Lancet Psychiatry.

Conduct disorder is relatively common in young people, has a high burden of disease, and is linked to poor psychosocial outcomes. However, relatively little is known about the neurobiological correlates of conduct disorder. To this aim, researchers conducted a coordinated analysis of 15 international cohorts from the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis-Antisocial Behavior (ENIGMA-ASB) – the largest neuroimaging dataset on conduct disorder to date.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the ENIGMA-ASB database to assess cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes among young people with conduct disorder relative to typically developing young people. Statistical analyses included general linear models, adjusting for sex, age, and total intracranial volume. False discovery rate corrections were applied to account for multiple comparisons, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the impact of various factors on the results. The researchers also performed subgroup-specific analyses based on age of onset and callous-unemotional traits within the conduct disorder group.

A total of 2438 participants aged 7 to 21 years were included in the analysis, 1185 of whom had a diagnosis of conduct disorder and 1253 were typically developing young people. The participants had a mean (SD) age of 13.5 (3.0) years, 28.6% of the conduct disorder group were women, and 35.6% of the typically developing group were women.

The researchers observed widespread alterations in surface area relative to the typically developing group, as individuals with conduct disorder displayed lower regional surface area in 26 of 34 cortical regions examined and lower total surface area (Cohen d, 0.09-0.26). The largest effects were observed in the inferior parietal cortex (Cohen d = -0.26; 95% CI, -0.34 to -0.18) and total surface area (Cohen d =-0.24; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.16).

Compared with typically developing individuals, people with conduct disorder displayed greater cortical thickness in the caudal anterior cingulate cortex (Cohen d =0.16; 95% CI, 0.08-0.24) and lower cortical thickness in the superior temporal sulcus (Cohen d =-0.13; 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.06). The conduct disorder group also had smaller amygdala (Cohen d =0.13; 95% CI, -0.21 to -0.05), nucleus accumbens (Cohen d =0.11; 95% CI, -0.19 to -0.03), thalamus (Cohen d =0.14; 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.06), and hippocampus (Cohen d =0.12; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.04) volumes.

Most findings remained significant after adjusting for intelligence quotient (IQ), comorbidities, and use of psychotropic medications.

These findings help elucidate the neurobiological correlates of conduct disorder. The researchers concluded, “This underrecognized disorder warrants greater consideration in research, including longitudinal studies exploring neurodevelopmental trajectories and additional subtyping approaches.”

Study limitations include potential variability in data collection methods across international cohorts, reliance on cross-sectional data, and the restricted ages included.

Disclosure: Some study authors declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.

This article originally appeared on Psychiatry Advisor