Imaging decision about whether to benefit self by harming others: Adolescents with conduct and substance problems, with or without callous-unemotionality, or developing typically

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2017 May 30:263:103-112. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.03.004. Epub 2017 Mar 11.

Abstract

We sought to identify brain activation differences in conduct-problem youth with limited prosocial emotions (LPE) compared to conduct-problem youth without LPE and community adolescents, and to test associations between brain activation and severity of callous-unemotional traits. We utilized a novel task, which asks subjects to repeatedly decide whether to accept offers where they will benefit but a beneficent other will be harmed. Behavior on this task has been previously associated with levels of prosocial emotions and severity of callous-unemotional traits, and is related to empathic concern. During fMRI acquisition, 66 male adolescents (21 conduct-problem patients with LPE, 21 without, and 24 typically-developing controls) played this novel game. Within typically-developing controls, we identified a network engaged during decision involving bilateral insula, and inferior parietal and medial frontal cortices, among other regions. Group comparisons using non-parametric (distribution-free) permutation tests demonstrated LPE patients had lower activation estimates than typically-developing adolescents in right anterior insula. Additional significant group differences emerged with our a priori parametric cluster-wise inference threshold. These results suggest measurable functional brain activation differences in conduct-problem adolescents with LPE compared to typically-developing adolescents. Such differences may underscore differential treatment needs for conduct-problem males with and without LPE.

Keywords: Antisocial; Callous; Drug abuse; Imaging; Prosocial.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / physiology*
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Cerebral Cortex / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
  • Conduct Disorder / diagnostic imaging*
  • Conduct Disorder / physiopathology
  • Conduct Disorder / psychology
  • Decision Making / physiology*
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Empathy / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Male
  • Photic Stimulation / methods