scholarly journals Reduced Cortisol in Boys with Early-Onset Conduct Disorder and Callous-Unemotional Traits

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg G. von Polier ◽  
Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann ◽  
Kerstin Konrad ◽  
Kristine Wiesler ◽  
Jana Rieke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Disorder ◽  
Antisocial Behavior ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Cortisol Awakening Response ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Specific Association ◽  
Comorbid Adhd

Background. A growing body of evidence suggests an association between altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity and the development of persistent antisocial behavior in children. However the effects of altered cortisol levels remain poorly understood in the complex context of conduct disorder, callous-unemotional (CU) personality traits, and frequent comorbidities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of the current study was to investigate associations among CU traits, antisocial behavior, and comorbid ADHD symptomatology with cortisol levels in male children and adolescents.Methods. The study included 37 boys with early-onset conduct disorder (EO-CD, mean age 11.9 years) and 38 healthy boys (mean age 12.5 years). Participants were subjected to multiple daytime salivary cortisol measurements and a psychometric characterization.Results. Subjects in the EO-CD group with elevated CU traits showed a diminished cortisol awakening response compared to healthy participants. In the EO-CD group, high CU traits and impulsivity were associated with decreased diurnal cortisol levels, while associations with antisocial behavior were not detected. The cortisol awakening response was significantly inversely associated with hyperactivity (P=0.02) and marginally significant with CU traits (P=0.07).Conclusions. These results indicate a specific association between CU traits and a diminished stress response, which is not explained by antisocial behavior in general.

scholarly journals Positive and negative parenting in conduct disorder with high versus low levels of callous–unemotional traits

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ruth Pauli ◽  
Peter Tino ◽  
Jack C. Rogers ◽  
Rosalind Baker ◽  
Roberta Clanton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Disorder ◽  
Positive Parenting ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Negative Parenting ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Learning Classifier ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Generalized Matrix ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Less is known about the relationship between conduct disorder (CD), callous–unemotional (CU) traits, and positive and negative parenting in youth compared to early childhood. We combined traditional univariate analyses with a novel machine learning classifier (Angle-based Generalized Matrix Learning Vector Quantization) to classify youth (N = 756; 9–18 years) into typically developing (TD) or CD groups with or without elevated CU traits (CD/HCU, CD/LCU, respectively) using youth- and parent-reports of parenting behavior. At the group level, both CD/HCU and CD/LCU were associated with high negative and low positive parenting relative to TD. However, only positive parenting differed between the CD/HCU and CD/LCU groups. In classification analyses, performance was best when distinguishing CD/HCU from TD groups and poorest when distinguishing CD/HCU from CD/LCU groups. Positive and negative parenting were both relevant when distinguishing CD/HCU from TD, negative parenting was most relevant when distinguishing between CD/LCU and TD, and positive parenting was most relevant when distinguishing CD/HCU from CD/LCU groups. These findings suggest that while positive parenting distinguishes between CD/HCU and CD/LCU, negative parenting is associated with both CD subtypes. These results highlight the importance of considering multiple parenting behaviors in CD with varying levels of CU traits in late childhood/adolescence.

scholarly journals Affective theory of mind impairments underlying callous-unemotional traits and the role of cognitive control: A pilot study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew E. Winters ◽  
Joseph T. Sakai
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Antisocial Behavior ◽  
Basic Emotions ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Behavioral Paradigm ◽  
Complex Atom

Affective theory of mind (aToM) impairments predict antisocial behavior above clinical rating of the youth antisocial phenotype callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Adolescents with CU traits demonstrate specific impairments in cognitive control; and cognitive control modulates aToM. Adolescents with CU traits specifically demonstrate aToM impairments during complex, but not basic, emotions, which require greater cognitive control to process. What is less understood is how cognitive control impacts complex aToM in relation to CU traits. Such investigations demonstrate promise for understanding modifiable mechanisms underlying core impairments of CU traits. To examine this, 81 participants (ages 12-14, Female = 51.8%, Male= 48.2%) were recruited to complete a behavioral paradigm that involved an initial aToM task followed by placing additional demands on cognitive control and a final repeat of the same aToM task. Results indicate higher CU traits associated with greater sensitivity to cognitive demands and that placing demands on cognitive control resulted in additional decrements in complex aToM. These preliminary results suggest that the cognitive control vulnerabilities associated with CU traits impact complex aToM. This may partially explain why youth with CU traits persist in antisocial behavior and warrants further investigation.

Callous—Unemotional Traits and Antisocial Behavior

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Larsson ◽  
Essi Viding ◽  
Robert Plomin
Keyword(s):  
Antisocial Behavior ◽  
Child Effects ◽  
Negative Parenting ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Early Parenting ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Teacher Assessments ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Parenting Characteristics

This study compared early parenting characteristics in children with different levels of callous—unemotional (CU) traits and antisocial behavior (AB). Four groups were formed on the basis of teacher assessments: high CU and low AB (CU+; N = 378), high CU and high AB (AB/CU+; N = 234), low CU and high AB (AB+; N = 210), and controls ( N = 3,608). In addition, genetic and environmental influences on elevated levels of CU traits were specifically investigated in CU+ and AB/CU+ subgroups. Multivariate analysis of variance and DeFries-Fulker extremes analysis yielded three main findings: First, AB/CU+ and AB+ children exhibited higher levels of early negative parenting characteristics than CU+ children and controls. Second, these higher levels of negative parenting characteristics in AB/CU+ and AB+ children were explained by early child effects on parenting. Third, heritability estimates for CU in AB/CU+ and CU+ groups are of similar magnitude.

Specifying the Connection Between Reward Processing and Antisocial Psychopathology Across Development

2019 ◽  
pp. 311-332
Author(s):  
Suzanne Estrada ◽  
Scott Tillem ◽  
Allison Stuppy-Sullivan ◽  
Arielle Baskin-Sommers
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Conduct Disorder ◽  
Antisocial Behavior ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Unemotional Traits

Antisocial behavior is a heterogeneous construct that includes a range of behavioral problems and psychopathologies. With regard to classification, children and adolescents may be identified as having conduct disorder or callous–unemotional traits; whereas adults may be identified as having antisocial personality disorder or psychopathy. The adverse consequences of the behaviors and diagnoses related to this construct produce great burdens for the perpetrators, victims, family members, and society at large. Research has focused on identifying various factors contributing to antisocial behavior, with reward processing among one of the most studied. This chapter synthesizes self-report, behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging literature on reward processing in antisocial behavior across development. Findings are organized regarding key reward constructs within the Positive Valence Systems domain of the Research Domain Criteria matrix. Overall, children with conduct disorder display deficits in action selection, responsivity to reward, and reward prediction that result in risky choices, impaired performance in the face of reward, and poor integration of reward information. By contrast, children with callous–unemotional traits demonstrate poor reward learning and use of reward cues. In adults, those with antisocial personality disorder display deficits in reward valuation; whereas those with psychopathy show context-dependent abnormalities in multiple components of reward processing. Ultimately, an integrative focus on abnormal reward processing across subtypes of individuals who engage in antisocial behavior might help refine the phenotype and improve the prediction of onset and recovery of these disorders.

Maladaptive Fearlessness: An Examination of the Association Between Subjective Fear Experience and Antisocial Behaviors Linked With Callous Unemotional Traits

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise M. Cardinale ◽  
Rebecca M. Ryan ◽  
Abigail A. Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Antisocial Behavior ◽  
Real World ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Antisocial Behaviors ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Unemotional Traits ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Relationship

The centrality of a fearless temperament as it relates to the construct of psychopathy remains an area of controversy, with some researchers arguing that the relationship between fearless temperament and psychopathy (and associated antisocial behavior) can be explained by shared associations with other core affective and interpersonal traits of psychopathy such as callous-unemotional (CU) traits. The authors investigated real-world subjectively experienced fear in 306 individuals with varying levels of CU traits and antisocial behavior and found that at low levels of subjective fear experience, decreases in subjective fear were associated with greater antisociality. Even after controlling for the positive relationship between CU traits and antisocial behavior, reduced subjectively experienced fear remained a significant predictor of antisocial behavior. These results provide evidence that experienced fear is related to antisocial behavior at lower than average levels of subjectively experienced fear and that this relationship persists after controlling for CU traits.

scholarly journals Dysfunction in differential reward-punishment responsiveness in conduct disorder relates to severity of callous-unemotional traits but not irritability

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ru Zhang ◽  
Joseph Aloi ◽  
Sahil Bajaj ◽  
Johannah Bashford-Largo ◽  
Jennie Lukoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conduct Disorder ◽  
Passive Avoidance ◽  
Avoidance Task ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Affective Traits ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Differential Reward

Abstract Background Conduct disorder (CD) has been associated with dysfunction in reinforcement-based decision-making. Two forms of affective traits that reflect the components of CD severity are callous-unemotional (CU; reduced guilt/empathy) traits and irritability. The form of the reinforcement-based decision-making dysfunction with respect to CD and CU traits remains debated and has not been examined with respect to irritability in cases with CD. The goals of the current study were to determine the extent of dysfunction in differential (reward v. punishment) responsiveness in CD, and CU traits and irritability in participants with CD. Methods The study involved 178 adolescents [typically developing (TD; N = 77) and cases with CD (N = 101)]. Participants were scanned with fMRI during a passive avoidance task that required participants to learn to respond to (i.e. approach) stimuli that engender reward and refrain from responding to (i.e. passively avoid) stimuli that engender punishment. Results Adolescents with CD showed reduced differential reward-punishment responsiveness within the striatum relative to TD adolescents. CU traits, but not irritability, were associated with reduced differential reward-punishment responsiveness within the striatum, rostromedial, and lateral frontal cortices. Conclusions The results suggest CD is associated with reduced differential reward-punishment responsiveness and the extent of this dysfunction in participants with CD is associated with the severity of CU traits but not irritability.

scholarly journals Empathy in Youths with Conduct Disorder and Callous-Unemotional Traits

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annarita Milone ◽  
Luca Cerniglia ◽  
Chiara Cristofani ◽  
Emanuela Inguaggiato ◽  
Valentina Levantini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Disorder ◽  
Child And Adolescent Psychiatry ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Complex Emotions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
Emotional Dimensions ◽  
Age Range

Previous studies indicated that a lack of empathy could be considered the core feature of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children and adolescents. The present study is aimed at exploring relationships among CU traits, cognitive and emotional dimensions of empathy, emotion recognition (basic, social, and complex emotions), and history of maltreatment in a sample of youths with conduct disorder diagnosis. The sample consisted of 60 Italian male patients (age range 11-17 years, mean age 13.27±1.90 years) referred to the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Pisa, Italy). In the whole sample, the levels of CU traits were significantly negatively associated with both cognitive and emotional dimensions of empathy; in addition, the CD patients with high levels of CU traits show significantly lower levels of empathic concern compared to those with low levels of CU traits. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals The Relation of Callous–Unemotional Traits and Bullying in Early Adolescence Is Independent from Sex and Age and Moderated by Conduct Problems

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1059
Author(s):  
Gennaro Catone ◽  
Luisa Almerico ◽  
Anna Pezzella ◽  
Maria Pia Riccio ◽  
Carmela Bravaccio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Problems ◽  
Early Adolescence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Traditional Bullying ◽  
Bullying Perpetration ◽  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Specific Association ◽  
The Relationship

In youths, callous–unemotional (CU) traits and conduct problems (CP) are independently associated with bullying perpetration and these effects are also observed when controlling for sex. Moreover, research indicates that the co-existence of high levels of both CU and CP further increase the risk. Although several studies have examined the relationship between CU traits and traditional bullying, few have also included a measure of cyberbullying and very few of them have focused the early adolescence. The aim of this study was to replicate and extend these findings in a large sample of Italian early adolescents considering both traditional and cyberbullying behaviors. Data were extracted from the Bullying and Youth Mental Health Naples study (BYMHNS) which included 2959 students of 10–15 years of age. CP, CU traits, traditional bullying behaviors, and cyberbullying behaviors were assessed by multi-item self-report scales. As expected, we replicated the significant and specific association between CU traits and traditional bullying, extending the findings to cyberbullying. In addition, in the latter case the effect was moderated by CP. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results were discussed.

Callous-unemotional Traits: Verhaltensprobleme und prosoziales Verhalten bei Kindergartenkindern

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Koglin ◽  
Franz Petermann
Keyword(s):  
Cu Traits ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Antisocial Process Screening Device ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Prosoziales Verhalten ◽  
Unemotional Traits ◽  
Screening Device

Callous-unemotional Traits (CU-Traits) stellen in der emotionalen Entwicklung Abweichungen dar, wie mangelnde Empathie oder ein oberflächlicher Affekt und gehören zu den Kernmerkmalen der Psychopathy. Aus einer entwicklungspsychopathologischen Sichtweise wird in der vorliegenden Studie untersucht, ob diese affektiven Merkmale bereits bei Kindern im Kindergartenalter zu identifizieren sind und sie mit Verhaltensproblemen, besonders mit externalisierenden Verhaltensproblemen, im Zusammenhang stehen. Anhand einer Stichprobe mit 311 Kindern (durchschnittlich 5;0 Jahre) wird die Anzahl der Kinder mit Callous-unemotional-Traits (CU-Traits), erfasst mit dem „Antisocial Process Screening Device“ (APSD), identifiziert. Es werden quer- und längsschnittliche Zusammenhange zwischen CU-Traits und Erlebens- und Verhaltensprobleme (SDQ) dargestellt. 23,3 % der Kinder weisen erhöhte Werte auf der Skala CU-Traits auf. Jüngere Kinder erreichen höhere Werte, so dass normative Entwicklungseinflüsse nahe gelegt werden. Es zeigen sich eindeutige Beziehungen zwischen CU-Traits und Verhaltensproblemen sowie negative Korrelationen zu prosozialem Verhalten. In der längsschnittlichen Analyse über ein Jahr erweisen sich CU-Traits als Prädiktor für Verhaltensprobleme. Ein spezifischer Zusammenhang zwischen aggressivem Verhalten und CU-Traits kann nicht aufgezeigt werden. CU-Traits stehen besonders mit einem Defizit prosozialen Verhaltens in Verbindung. Es wird diskutiert, ob CU-Traits bei jungen Kindern dazu geeignet sind, aggressive Kinder frühzeitig zu identifizieren.

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