title: Cortical thickness and prosocial behavior in school-age children: A population-based MRI study.
abstract: Prosocial behavior plays an important role in establishing and maintaining relationships with others and thus may have important developmental implications. This study examines the association between cortical thickness and prosocial behavior in a population-based sample of 6- to 9-year-old children. The present study was embedded within the Generation R Study. Magnetic resonance scans were acquired from 464 children whose parents had completed the prosocial scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. To study the association between cortical thickness and prosocial behavior, we performed whole-brain surface-based analyses. Prosocial behavior was related to a thicker cortex in a cluster that covers part of the left superior frontal and rostral middle frontal cortex (p < .001). Gender moderated the association between prosocial behavior and cortical thickness in a cluster including the right rostral middle frontal and superior frontal cortex (p < .001) as well as in a cluster covering the right superior parietal cortex, cuneus, and precuneus (p < .001). Our results suggest that prosocial behavior is associated with cortical thickness in regions related to theory of mind (superior frontal cortex, rostral middle frontal cortex cuneus, and precuneus) and inhibitory control (superior frontal and rostral middle frontal cortex).
authors.affiliation: a School of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences , Erasmus University Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thijssen
authors.affiliation: b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|d Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wildeboer
authors.affiliation: b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ryan L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Muetzel
authors.affiliation: d Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , the Netherlands.|e Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) , Leiden University , Leiden , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marian J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bakermans-Kranenburg
authors.affiliation: b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El Marroun
authors.affiliation: f Department of Epidemiology , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|f Department of Epidemiology , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|g Department of Pediatrics , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Vincent W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
authors.affiliation: h Department of Radiology , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Lugt
authors.affiliation: b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Verhulst
authors.affiliation: c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|f Department of Epidemiology , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
authors.affiliation: a School of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences , Erasmus University Rotterdam , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|d Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , the Netherlands.|e Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) , Leiden University , Leiden , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marinus H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: van IJzendoorn
authors.affiliation: c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.|h Department of Radiology , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tonya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009929:Organ Size; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: Cortical thickness; Prosocial behavior; Structural MRI; Superior frontal cortex