Callous-unemotional traits and brain structure: Sex-specific effects in anterior insula of typically-developing youths

Nora Maria Raschle; Willeke Martine Menks; Lynn Valérie Fehlbaum; Martin Steppan; Areti Smaragdi; Karen Gonzalez-Madruga; Jack Rogers; Roberta Clanton; Gregor Kohls; Anne Martinelli; Anka Bernhard; Kerstin Konrad; Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann; Christine M. Freitag; Graeme Fairchild; Stephane A. De Brito; Christina Stadler

NeuroImage: Clinical (Jan 2018)

Callous-unemotional traits and brain structure: Sex-specific effects in anterior insula of typically-developing youths

Nora Maria Raschle,
Willeke Martine Menks,
Lynn Valérie Fehlbaum,
Martin Steppan,
Areti Smaragdi,
Karen Gonzalez-Madruga,
Jack Rogers,
Roberta Clanton,
Gregor Kohls,
Anne Martinelli,
Anka Bernhard,
Kerstin Konrad,
Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann,
Christine M. Freitag,
Graeme Fairchild,
Stephane A. De Brito,
Christina Stadler

Affiliations

Nora Maria Raschle: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland; Corresponding author at: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital Basel, Schanzenstrasse 13, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Willeke Martine Menks: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Lynn Valérie Fehlbaum: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Martin Steppan: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Areti Smaragdi: Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, England, UK
Karen Gonzalez-Madruga: Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, England, UK
Jack Rogers: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, UK
Roberta Clanton: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, UK
Gregor Kohls: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Child Neuropsychology Section, University Hospital Aachen, Germany
Anne Martinelli: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Anka Bernhard: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Kerstin Konrad: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Child Neuropsychology Section, University Hospital Aachen, Germany; JARA-Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, RWTH Aachen & Research Centre Juelich, Germany
Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Child Neuropsychology Section, University Hospital Aachen, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of the RWTH, Aachen, Germany.
Christine M. Freitag: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Graeme Fairchild: Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Stephane A. De Brito: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, UK
Christina Stadler: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, Psychiatric University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 17
pp. 856 – 864

Abstract

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Callous-unemotional traits are characterized by a lack of empathy, a disregard for others' feelings and shallow or deficient affect, such as a lack of remorse or guilt. Neuroanatomical correlates of callous-unemotional traits have been demonstrated in clinical samples (i.e., adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders). However, it is unknown whether callous-unemotional traits are associated with neuroanatomical correlates within normative populations without clinical levels of aggression or antisocial behavior. Here we investigated the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and gray matter volume using voxel-based morphometry in a large sample of typically-developing boys and girls (N=189). Whole-brain multiple regression analyses controlling for site, total intracranial volume, and age were conducted in the whole sample and in boys and girls individually. Results revealed that sex and callous-unemotional traits interacted to predict gray matter volume when considering the whole sample. This interaction was driven by a significant positive correlation between callous-unemotional traits and bilateral anterior insula volume in boys, but not girls. Insula gray matter volume explained 19% of the variance in callous-unemotional traits for boys. Our results demonstrate that callous-unemotional traits are related to variations in brain structure beyond psychiatric samples. This association was observed for boys only, underlining the importance of considering sex as a factor in future research designs. Future longitudinal studies should determine whether these findings hold over childhood and adolescence, and whether the neuroanatomical correlates of callous-unemotional traits are predictive of future psychiatric vulnerability. General scientific summary: This study suggests that callous-unemotional traits have a neuroanatomical correlate within typically developing boys, but not girls. Bilateral anterior insula volume explains up to 19% of the variance in callous-unemotional traits in boys. Keywords: Callous-unemotional traits, Insula, Pediatric neuroimaging, Sex differences, Voxel-based morphometry

Published in NeuroImage: Clinical

ISSN: 2213-1582 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General): Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics; Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry: Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuroimage-clinical/

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