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. 2023 Nov 4;13(1):339.
doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02635-8.

Rapid white matter changes in children with conduct problems during a parenting intervention

Suzanne O' Brien #  1 , Arjun Sethi #  2 , James Blair  3   4 , Essi Viding  5 , Ahmad Beyh  2 , Mitul A Mehta  6 , Robert Dallyn  2 , Christine Ecker  7 , Marija M Petrinovic  2 , Moira Doolan  8 , Nigel Blackwood  2 , Marco Catani  9 , Declan G M Murphy  2 , Stephen Scott  8 , Michael C Craig  2   10
Affiliations

Rapid white matter changes in children with conduct problems during a parenting intervention

Suzanne O' Brien et al. Transl Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Studies report that the microstructural integrity of the uncinate fasciculus (UF; connecting the anterior temporal lobe to the orbitofrontal cortex) is abnormal in adults with psychopathy and children with conduct problems (CP), especially those with high callous-unemotional (CU) traits. However, it is unknown if these abnormalities are 'fixed' or 'reversible'. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that a reduction in CP symptoms, following a parenting intervention, would be associated with altered microstructural integrity in the UF. Using diffusion tensor imaging tractography we studied microstructural differences (mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD)) in the UF of 43 typically developing (TD) and 67 boys with CP before and after a 14-week parenting intervention. We also assessed whether clinical response in CP symptoms or CU traits explained changes in microstructure following the intervention. Prior to intervention, measures of MD and RD in the UF were increased in CP compared to TD boys. Following intervention, we found that the CP group had a significant reduction in RD and MD. Further, these microstructural changes were driven by the group of children whose CU traits improved (but not CP symptoms as hypothesized). No significant microstructural changes were observed in the TD group. Our findings suggest, for the first time, that microstructural abnormalities in the brains of children with CP may be reversible following parenting intervention.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Tractography representation of the left uncinate fasciculus which extends from the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) towards the medial (Med) and lateral (Lat) orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).
Tractography representation is from the MegaTrack dataset overlayed on a group anisotropic power (AP) map, representing 110 individuals across two timepoints.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Changes in white matter microstructure between two groups over time.
Measures of (A) mean diffusivity and (B) radial diffusivity in the uncinate fasciculus pre and post a parenting intervention in the Conduct Problem (CP) group compared to the control group.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Changes in white matter microstructure between three groups over time.
Measures of microstructural integrity pre and post a parenting intervention in a typically developing control group compared to CU traits improvers and persisters in the uncinate fasciculus for (A) mean diffusivity and (B) radial diffusivity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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