. 2024 Feb;55(1):3-13.

doi: 10.1007/s10578-022-01360-5. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Brain Anatomy in Boys with Conduct Disorder: Differences Among Aggression Subtypes

Yali Jiang^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Yidian Gao⁵, Daifeng Dong⁶, Xiaoqiang Sun⁶, Weijun Situ^{7

8}, Shuqiao Yao^{9

10

11

12

13

14}

Affiliations

¹ Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Radiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
³ Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
⁵ Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
⁶ Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
⁷ Department of Radiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. stwj74@sina.com.
⁸ Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. stwj74@sina.com.
⁹ Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹¹ Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹² Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹³ National Clinical Research Center on Psychiatry and Psychology, Changsha, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹⁴ Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35704134
DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01360-5

Brain Anatomy in Boys with Conduct Disorder: Differences Among Aggression Subtypes

Yali Jiang et al. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2024 Feb.

. 2024 Feb;55(1):3-13.

doi: 10.1007/s10578-022-01360-5. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Authors

Yali Jiang^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Yidian Gao⁵, Daifeng Dong⁶, Xiaoqiang Sun⁶, Weijun Situ^{7

8}, Shuqiao Yao^{9

10

11

12

13

14}

Affiliations

¹ Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Radiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
³ Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
⁵ Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
⁶ Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
⁷ Department of Radiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. stwj74@sina.com.
⁸ Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. stwj74@sina.com.
⁹ Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹¹ Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹² Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹³ National Clinical Research Center on Psychiatry and Psychology, Changsha, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.
¹⁴ Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China. shuqiaoyao@csu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35704134
DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01360-5

Abstract

Aggression is a core feature of conduct disorder (CD), but the motivation, execution of aggression may vary. A deeper understanding of the neural substrates of aggressive behaviours is critical for effective clinical intervention. Seventy-six Boys with CD (50 with impulsive aggression (I-CD) and 26 with premeditated aggression (P-CD)) and 69 healthy controls (HCs) underwent a structural MRI scan and behavioural assessments. Whole-brain analyses revealed that, compared to HCs, the I-CD group showed significant cortical thinning in the right frontal cortex, while the P-CD group demonstrated significant folding deficits in the bilateral superior parietal cortex. Both types of aggression negatively correlated with the left amygdala volume, albeit in different ways. The present results demonstrated that the complex nature of aggression relies on differentiated anatomical substrates, highlighting the importance of exploring differential circuit-targeted interventions for CD patients.

Keywords: Adolescents; Conduct disorder; Impulsive aggression; Premeditated aggression; sMRI.

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Brain Anatomy in Boys with Conduct Disorder: Differences Among Aggression Subtypes

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Brain Anatomy in Boys with Conduct Disorder: Differences Among Aggression Subtypes

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