Neural Responses to Affective and Cognitive Theory of Mind in Children With Conduct Problems and Varying Levels of Callous-Unemotional Traits

Sebastian, Cherian; McCrory, Eamon; Cecil, Charlotte A.M.; Lockwood, Patricia L.; Brito, Stéphane A. De; Fontaine, Nathalie; Viding, Essi

doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.2070

Cited by 221 publications

(245 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

217

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Our finding adds to increasing evidence regarding the utility of callous-unemotional specifier in the classification of children with conduct problems. In a previous study we reported a negative association between callous-unemotional traits and amygdala activity using an explicit and complex affective processing task (17). The current study demonstrated a negative association between callousunemotional traits and amygdala response to pre-attentively presented fear, further highlighting the dimensional relationship between callous-unemotional traits and amygdala activity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…Amygdala hypoactivity in children with conduct problems and high callous-unemotional traits (15,16,17) could partly explain associated clinical phenomena such as pre-meditated aggression, lack of empathy, and difficulties in learning from punishment (18). In contrast, amygdala hyperactivity in children with conduct problems and low callous-unemotional traits (12,17) may partly explain clinical phenomena such as reactive aggression and difficulties in regulating emotions (2). The amygdala responds to salient stimuli both when presented pre-attentively (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Amygdala Response to Preattentive Masked Fear in Children With Conduct Problems: The Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits

Viding

Sebastian

Dadds

et al. 2012

AJP

Self Cite

327

300

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amygdala Response to Preattentive Masked Fear in Children With Conduct Problems: The Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits

Viding

Sebastian

Dadds

et al. 2012

AJP

Self Cite

327

300

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Behavioral and neurobiological data suggest that in some cases individuals with psychopathic traits can perform particularly well in representing and understanding others' intentions, emotions, and desires (i.e., theory of mind) [Bird and Viding, 2014; Johnson et al, 2014; Jones et al, 2010; O'nions et al, 2014; Sebastian et al, 2012], and this apparently may aid their alleged “social predatorism” [Book et al, 2007; Dolan and Fullam, 2004; Nentjes et al, 2015; Sandvik et al, 2014; Wheeler et al, 2009]. However, our finding could also reflect excessive bottom‐up signaling of motivational salience, which may impair distinguishing one's egocentric desires and values from those of others, and shape a potentially self‐centered/narcissistic profile.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissociable relations between amygdala subregional networks and psychopathy trait dimensions in conduct‐disordered juvenile offenders

Aghajani

Colins

Klapwijk

et al. 2016

Human Brain Mapping

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Psychopathy is a serious psychiatric phenomenon characterized by a pathological constellation of affective (e.g., callous, unemotional), interpersonal (e.g., manipulative, egocentric), and behavioral (e.g., impulsive, irresponsible) personality traits. Though amygdala subregional defects are suggested in psychopathy, the functionality and connectivity of different amygdala subnuclei is typically disregarded in neurocircuit‐level analyses of psychopathic personality. Hence, little is known of how amygdala subregional networks may contribute to psychopathy and its underlying trait assemblies in severely antisocial people. We addressed this important issue by uniquely examining the intrinsic functional connectivity of basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CMA) amygdala networks in relation to affective, interpersonal, and behavioral traits of psychopathy, in conduct‐disordered juveniles with a history of serious delinquency (N = 50, mean age = 16.83 ± 1.32). As predicted, amygdalar connectivity profiles exhibited dissociable relations with different traits of psychopathy. Interpersonal psychopathic traits not only related to increased connectivity of BLA and CMA with a corticostriatal network formation accommodating reward processing, but also predicted stronger CMA connectivity with a network of cortical midline structures supporting sociocognitive processes. In contrast, affective psychopathic traits related to diminished CMA connectivity with a frontolimbic network serving salience processing and affective responding. Finally, behavioral psychopathic traits related to heightened BLA connectivity with a frontoparietal cluster implicated in regulatory executive functioning. We suggest that these trait‐specific shifts in amygdalar connectivity could be particularly relevant to the psychopathic phenotype, as they may fuel a self‐centered, emotionally cold, and behaviorally disinhibited profile. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4017–4033, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

show abstract

“…Several studies have used other methods to measure emotion processing and interpretation Marsh et al, 2013). Sebastian et al (2012) showed story panels with cartoon characters, and asked the subjects to infer how a story character would react to their companion's affective state based on the story line. CU traits were significantly and negatively associated with amygdala response to these affective scenarios while conduct problem symptoms were positively associated.…”

Section: Amygdalamentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain imaging research on psychopathy: Implications for punishment, prediction, and treatment in youth and adults

Umbach

Berryessa

Raine

2015

Journal of Criminal Justice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While there has been an exponential increase in brain imaging research on psychopathy in the past two decades, knowledge on the brain basis to child and adolescent psychopathic-like behavior is relatively new. This adult and child research has potential future implications for the development of new interventions, prediction of future offending, and punishment. This review examines both adult and child literatures on the neural basis of psychopathy, together with implications for the criminal justice system. The adult imaging literature provides growing evidence for amygdala structural and functional impairments in psychopaths, and more variable evidence for prefrontal deficits. The emerging child and adolescent imaging literature with notable exceptions broadly parallels these adult findings and may help explain the development of fearlessness, disinhibition, and lack of empathy. This knowledge places policy makers at a crossroads. Should new biological interventions be developed to remediate these brain abnormalities? Would imaging be used in the future to predict offending? Could imaging findings help excuse psychopathic behavior or alternatively argue for longer sentences for public protection? This review attempts to address these issues at the child and adult levels and provides directions for future research that include the incorporation of biological measures into treatment programs. AbstractWhile there has been an exponential increase in brain imaging research on psychopathy in the past two decades, knowledge on the brain basis to child and adolescent psychopathic-like behavior is relatively new. This adult and child research has potential future implications for the development of new interventions, prediction of future offending, and punishment. This review examines both adult and child literatures on the neural basis of psychopathy, together with implications for the criminal justice system. The adult imaging literature provides growing evidence for amygdala structural and functional impairments in psychopaths, and more variable evidence for prefrontal deficits. The emerging child and adolescent imaging literature with notable exceptions broadly parallels these adult findings and may help explain the development of fearlessness, disinhibition, and lack of empathy. This knowledge places policy makers at a crossroads. Should new biological interventions be developed to remediate these brain abnormalities? Would imaging be used in the future to predict offending? Could imaging findings help excuse psychopathic behavior or alternatively argue for longer sentences for public protection? This review attempts to address these issues at the child and adult levels and provides directions for future research that include the incorporation of biological measures into treatment programs.4

show abstract

Neural Responses to Affective and Cognitive Theory of Mind in Children With Conduct Problems and Varying Levels of Callous-Unemotional Traits

Cited by 221 publications

References 37 publications

Amygdala Response to Preattentive Masked Fear in Children With Conduct Problems: The Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits

Amygdala Response to Preattentive Masked Fear in Children With Conduct Problems: The Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits

Dissociable relations between amygdala subregional networks and psychopathy trait dimensions in conduct‐disordered juvenile offenders

Brain imaging research on psychopathy: Implications for punishment, prediction, and treatment in youth and adults

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About