Clarifying the role of Cortico-Cortical and Amygdalo-Cortical brain dysconnectivity associated with Conduct Problems

Abstract

BackgroundRecent evidence suggests that adolescents exhibiting conduct problems (CP) may have disrupted brain connectivity at rest. However, these studies are generally characterized by small sample sizes and differ in terms of neuroimaging methodologies and chosen psychometric scales to assess CP. In parallel, evidence from genetic and structural imaging studies suggests that aggregating measures may increase generalizability and reproducibility in results. Our primary aim was to identify deficits in functional brain connectivity that were replicable across two distinct measures of CP.MethodsIn a large sample of adolescents (n=1416), we assessed the relationship between resting-state functional connectome (including the amygdala bilaterally) and two distinct measures of conduct problems. Positive and negative brain connectivity measures were derived from the intersection of both scales. The utility of these aggregated scores was assessed in comparison with variants of psychopathy and clinical diagnoses.ResultsPsychometrics scales assessing CP were significantly related to 231 & 269 disrupted functional connectivity. Only 21 brain connectivity were shared between the two scales (10 positively and 11 negatively associated with CP. These brain connectivity scores differed between adolescents with variants of psychopathy and healthy controls and were specifically associated with disruptive disorders, but not other pediatric psychiatric disorders.ConclusionThe current study provides the evidence that different measures of CP may yield distinct results. Nonetheless, it also highlights that functional brain connectivity that intersected between the two scales may be robust and reliable neurobiological markers of severity of CP. Finally, brain connectivity scores may be generalizable to variants of psychopathy and specific to disruptive disorders.