What can be learned from white matter alterations in antisocial girls.

Abstract

Antisocial behavior in youths constitutes a major public health problem worldwide. Conduct disorder is a severe variant of antisocial behavior with higher prevalence rates for boys (12%) as opposed to girls (7%). A better understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of conduct disorder is warranted to improve identification, diagnosis, or treatment. Functional and structural neuroimaging studies have indicated several key brain regions within the limbic system and prefrontal cortex that are altered in youths with conduct disorder. Examining the structural connectivity, i.e. white matter fiber tracts connecting these brain areas, may further inform about the underlying neural mechanisms. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a non-invasive technique that can evaluate the white matter integrity of fiber tracts throughout the brain. To date, DTI studies have found several white matter tracts that are altered in youths with conduct disorder. However, a majority of these studies have focused on male or mixed-gender groups, and only a few studies have specifically investigated white matter alterations in girls with conduct disorder. Ultimately, studies that directly compare boys and girls with conduct disorder are necessary to identify possible sexual dimorphic neural alterations and developmental trajectories of conduct disorder in youths.