Neurobiological stress responses predict aggression in boys with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder: a 1-year follow-up intervention study.
To improve outcome for children with antisocial and aggressive behavior, it is important to know which individual characteristics contribute to reductions in problem behavior. The predictive value of a parent training (Parent Management Training Oregon; PMTO), parenting practices (monitoring, discipline, and punishment), and child neurobiological function (heart rate, cortisol) on the course of aggression was investigated. 64 boys with oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder (8-12 years) participated; parents of 22 boys took part in PMTO. All data were collected before the start of the PMTO, and aggression ratings were collected three times, before PMTO, and at 6 and 12 month follow-up. Parent training predicted a decline in aggression at 6 and 12 months. Child neurobiological variables, i.e., higher cortisol stress reactivity and better cortisol recovery, also predicted a decline in aggression at 6 and 12 months. Heart rate and parenting practices were not related to the course of aggression. These results indicate that child neurobiological factors can predict persistence or reduction of aggression in boys with ODD/CD, and have unique prognostic value on top of the parent training effects.
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands. j.schoorl@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.|Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. j.schoorl@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
Jantiene
J
Schoorl
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands.|Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Sophie
S
van Rijn
Department of Adolescent Development, Research Centre Adolescent Development, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Minet
M
de Wied
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands.|School of Psychology, Cardiff University, PO Box 901, Cardiff, CF103AT, Wales, UK.
Stephanie H M
SHM
van Goozen
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands.|Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Hanna
H
Swaab
D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009446:Neurobiology / Q000379:methods*
Conduct disorder; Cortisol; Disorder; Heart rate; Oppositional defiant; PMTO; Parent training; Parenting practices