Neurobiological, Neuroimaging, and Neuropsychological Studies of Children and Adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Abstract

The aim of this article is to review findings from the neurobiological, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological literature that have contributed to our understanding of the etiology and development of disruptive behavior disorders, with particular reference to conduct disorder. This review focuses on neurobiological systems such as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and neuroimaging evidence linking disruptive behavior disorders to changes in brain functioning or structure. Overall, this research suggests that brain areas involved in emotional processing and regulation are particularly compromised in children and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder, which fits with evidence obtained from neuropsychological studies. This review highlights the importance of neuroscientific research in characterizing reliable brain‐based functional and structural biomarkers that may contribute to an increased understanding of, and the development of new treatments for, antisocial and aggressive behavior in children and adolescents.

Psychopathological and neuropsychological endophenotypes of children with disruptive behaviour

“…Similarly, children with DBDs show impairments in decision-making contexts that may partially result from a similar difficulty in weighing behavioural options and potential consequences of each choice (as reviewed by (Nigg, 2017)). Other recent reviews and meta-analyses have found similar trends in selective attention deficits, suggesting practical outcomes of said deficits that include the inability to multitask, difficulties in capacity to weigh and switch between behavioural decision options, or to ignore extraneous stimuli irrelevant to the task at hand (Alegria, Radua, & Rubia, 2016;Puzzo et al, 2016).…”

“…They proposed that the impulsivity and risk-taking behaviours that are related to poor response inhibition are cue-activated, automatic behaviours, and not those involved in decision making involving weighing costs and benefits of each possible behavioural response. As such, the behavioural outcomes of poor response inhibition are those that occur by way of failure to inhibit the most salient response option (Puzzo et al, 2016).…”

432. Sex Differences in the Relationship between Conduct Disorder and Cortical Structure in Adolescents

“…56 Neuropsychological studies have consistently provided evidence for deficits in these processes in CD. 8, 57,58 Although CDrelated alterations were observed in a more posterior FIGURE 2 Correlations between conduct disorder (CD) severity and surface area, and sex-by-CD severity interactions in surface area and gyrification within the CD group. Note: The brain maps illustrate the clusters identified by these correlational analyses, whereas the scatter plots show the relationships detected between CD severity and surface area (Panel A) and local gyrification index (Panel B).…”

Oppositional defiant disorder: current insight

“… 58 , 62 – 64 Other studies have also pointed out reduced volume in the amygdala, anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex. 65 …”