The present study examined the association between psychopathic traits and functional connectivity in 177 incarcerated male adolescents. We hypothesized that psychopathic symptoms would be... Show moreThe present study examined the association between psychopathic traits and functional connectivity in 177 incarcerated male adolescents. We hypothesized that psychopathic symptoms would be associated with functional connectivity within networks encompassing limbic and paralimbic regions, such as the default mode (DMN), salience networks (SN), and executive control network (ECN). The present sample was drawn from the Southwest Advanced Neuroimaging Cohort, Youth sample, and from research at a youth detention facility in Wisconsin. All participants were scanned at maximum-security facilities. Psychopathic traits were assessed using Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version. Resting-state networks were computed using group Independent Component Analysis. Associations between psychopathic traits and resting-state connectivity were assessed using Mancova analyses. PCL-YV Total score and Factor 1 score (interpersonal and affective traits) were associated with the power spectra of the DMN. Factor 1 score was associated with SN and ECN spatial maps. Factor 2 score (lifestyle and antisocial traits) was associated with spatial map of the ECN. Only the Factor 1 association with DMN power spectrum survived correction for multiple testing. Comparable to adult psychopathy, adolescent psychopathic traits were associated with networks implicated in self-referential thought, moral behavior, cognition, and saliency detection: functions previously reported to be disrupted in adult psychopaths. Show less
Childhood Sexual Abuse related posttraumatic stress disorder (CSA-related PTSD), and anxiety and depressive disorders (clinical depression) have profound though differential impact on adolescent... Show moreChildhood Sexual Abuse related posttraumatic stress disorder (CSA-related PTSD), and anxiety and depressive disorders (clinical depression) have profound though differential impact on adolescent emotion regulation, attention bias and emotional face processing. We hypothesized increased negative attention bias for emotional faces and altered brain functioning in CSA-related PTSD compared to internalizing disorders and healthy controls in a cross-sectional fMRI study using an emotional face processing task in 19 12-20-year-old adolescents with CSA-related PTSD, 26 with internalizing disorders and 26 healthy controls.Outcome measures were reaction times, subjective ratings of emotional faces, and brain activation patterns for whole brain and for regions of interest. Compared to both other groups adolescents with CSA-related PTSD showed significantly slower reaction times and the highest subjective rating of emotional faces. On whole brain and ROI level, no significant group differences were found. Self-reported depressive, posttraumatic or dissociative symptoms were not associated with differences in task-related brain activity. Results support the hypothesis of increased negative attention bias for fearful and neutral faces in CSA-related PTSD versus both other groups. The absence of neural differences might indicate a brain-behavior neuro-imaging gap to be closed by larger and IQ matched samples or more sensitive paradigms to elicit emotion processing. Show less
