title: Right anterior cingulate cortical thickness and bilateral striatal volume correlate with child behavior checklist aggressive behavior scores in healthy children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and basal ganglia have been implicated in pathological aggression. This study aimed at identifying neuroanatomical correlates of impulsive aggression in healthy children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 193 representative 6- to 18-year-old healthy children were obtained from the National Institutes of Health Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Normal Brain Development after a blinded quality control. Cortical thickness and subcortical volumes were obtained with automated software. Aggression levels were measured with the Aggressive Behavior scale (AGG) of the Child Behavior Checklist. AGG scores were regressed against cortical thickness and basal ganglia volumes using first- and second-order linear models while controlling for age, gender, scanner site, and total brain volume. Gender by AGG interactions were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were positive associations between bilateral striatal volumes and AGG scores (right: r = .238, p = .001; left: r = .188, p = .01). A significant association was found with right ACC and subgenual ACC cortical thickness in a second-order linear model (p < .05, corrected). High AGG scores were associated with a relatively thin right ACC cortex. An AGG by gender interaction trend was found in bilateral OFC and ACC associations with AGG scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows the existence of relationships between impulsive aggression in healthy children and the structure of the striatum and right ACC. It also suggests the existence of gender-specific patterns of association in OFC/ACC gray matter. These results may guide research on oppositional-defiant and conduct disorders.
authors.affiliation: McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ducharme
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hudziak
authors.forename: Kelly N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Botteron
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ganjavi
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lepage
authors.forename: D Louis
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Albaugh
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Sherif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karama
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000374:Aggression; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size