Morphometric brain abnormalities in boys with conduct disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Children with the early-onset type of conduct disorder (CD) are at high risk for developing an antisocial personality disorder. Although there have been several neuroimaging studies on morphometric differences in adults with antisocial personality disorder, little is known about structural brain aberrations in boys with CD.


METHODS
Magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry were used to assess abnormalities in gray matter volumes in 23 boys ages 12 to 17 years with CD (17 comorbid for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) in comparison with age- and IQ-matched controls.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy controls, mean gray matter volume was 6% smaller in the clinical group. Compared with controls, reduced gray matter volumes were found in the left orbitofrontal region and bilaterally in the temporal lobes, including the amygdala and hippocampus on the left side in the CD group. Regression analyses in the clinical group indicated an inverse association of hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and widespread gray matter abnormalities in the frontoparietal and temporal cortices. By contrast, CD symptoms correlated primarily with gray matter reductions in limbic brain structures.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that boys with CD and comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder show brain abnormalities in frontolimbic areas that resemble structural brain deficits, which are typically observed in adults with antisocial behavior.
Huebner
Thomas
T
Drs. Herpertz-Dahlmann and Vloet and Mr. Huebner are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Dr. Konrad is with the Child and Neuropsychology Section of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen; Dr. Fink is with the Brain Imaging Center West, Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics, Research Center Juelich; and Mr. Marx and Dr. Herpertz are with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock.
Vloet
Timo D
TD
Drs. Herpertz-Dahlmann and Vloet and Mr. Huebner are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Dr. Konrad is with the Child and Neuropsychology Section of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen; Dr. Fink is with the Brain Imaging Center West, Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics, Research Center Juelich; and Mr. Marx and Dr. Herpertz are with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock.
Marx
Ivo
I
Drs. Herpertz-Dahlmann and Vloet and Mr. Huebner are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Dr. Konrad is with the Child and Neuropsychology Section of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen; Dr. Fink is with the Brain Imaging Center West, Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics, Research Center Juelich; and Mr. Marx and Dr. Herpertz are with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock.
Konrad
Kerstin
K
Drs. Herpertz-Dahlmann and Vloet and Mr. Huebner are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Dr. Konrad is with the Child and Neuropsychology Section of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen; Dr. Fink is with the Brain Imaging Center West, Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics, Research Center Juelich; and Mr. Marx and Dr. Herpertz are with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock.
Fink
Gereon R
GR
Drs. Herpertz-Dahlmann and Vloet and Mr. Huebner are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Dr. Konrad is with the Child and Neuropsychology Section of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen; Dr. Fink is with the Brain Imaging Center West, Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics, Research Center Juelich; and Mr. Marx and Dr. Herpertz are with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock.
Herpertz
Sabine C
SC
Drs. Herpertz-Dahlmann and Vloet and Mr. Huebner are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Dr. Konrad is with the Child and Neuropsychology Section of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen; Dr. Fink is with the Brain Imaging Center West, Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics, Research Center Juelich; and Mr. Marx and Dr. Herpertz are with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock.
Herpertz-Dahlmann
Beate
B
Drs. Herpertz-Dahlmann and Vloet and Mr. Huebner are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Dr. Konrad is with the Child and Neuropsychology Section of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen; Dr. Fink is with the Brain Imaging Center West, Institute of Neuroscience and Biophysics, Research Center Juelich; and Mr. Marx and Dr. Herpertz are with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock.. Electronic address: bherpertz-dahlmann@ukaachen.de.
D000293:Adolescent; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000473:pathology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology