TY - JOUR
T1 - Recent neuro-imaging findings with respect to conduct disorder, callous-unemotional traits and psychopathy
AU - Blair, Robert James R.
AU - Zhang, Ru
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was in part supported by the National Institute of Mental Health under award number K22-MH109558 (R.J.R.B.). The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 E-flow Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Purpose of reviewTo review recent neuro-imaging findings with respect to conduct disorder and callous-unemotional traits in childhood and comparable psychopathy in adult-hood that deepen the literature in important ways.Recent findingsRecent structural findings particularly bring clarity to the literature. First, they reinforce previous work indicating that severity of psychopathy is positively associated with extent of cavum septum pellucidum. This suggests psychopathy is associated with early neurodevelopmental disruption within limbic structures. Second, they clarify the direction of the association between conduct disorder and particularly callous-unemotional traits and white matter tract abnormalities even if it remains less transparent exactly which tracts are disrupted. However, conclusions based on recent functional imaging studies are more equivocal with inconsistencies in direction of emotional (albeit with notably more work confirming the previous reports of hypo-responsiveness in limbic regions) and reward responsiveness.SummaryThe recent data are, for the most part, consistent with a view that callous-unemotional traits/psychopathy represents an early appearing neuro-developmental disorder particularly associated with compromised emotional (limbic) functioning. However, some patients presenting with severe antisocial behavior may also show hyper-threat sensitivity, perhaps reflecting trauma exposure, and require different clinical interventions. .
AB - Purpose of reviewTo review recent neuro-imaging findings with respect to conduct disorder and callous-unemotional traits in childhood and comparable psychopathy in adult-hood that deepen the literature in important ways.Recent findingsRecent structural findings particularly bring clarity to the literature. First, they reinforce previous work indicating that severity of psychopathy is positively associated with extent of cavum septum pellucidum. This suggests psychopathy is associated with early neurodevelopmental disruption within limbic structures. Second, they clarify the direction of the association between conduct disorder and particularly callous-unemotional traits and white matter tract abnormalities even if it remains less transparent exactly which tracts are disrupted. However, conclusions based on recent functional imaging studies are more equivocal with inconsistencies in direction of emotional (albeit with notably more work confirming the previous reports of hypo-responsiveness in limbic regions) and reward responsiveness.SummaryThe recent data are, for the most part, consistent with a view that callous-unemotional traits/psychopathy represents an early appearing neuro-developmental disorder particularly associated with compromised emotional (limbic) functioning. However, some patients presenting with severe antisocial behavior may also show hyper-threat sensitivity, perhaps reflecting trauma exposure, and require different clinical interventions. .
KW - MRI
KW - callous-unemotional traits
KW - conduct disorder
KW - psychopathic traits
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U2 - 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000559
DO - 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000559
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31725420
AN - SCOPUS:85076126170
SN - 0951-7367
VL - 33
SP - 45
EP - 50
JO - Current Opinion in Psychiatry
JF - Current Opinion in Psychiatry
IS - 1
ER -