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Abnormal anatomical connectivity between the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex in conduct disorder
Luca Passamonti1, Graeme Fairchild, Alex Fornito
1Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Unità di Ricerca Neuroimmagini, Catanzaro, Italy. luca.passamonti@cnr.it
Plos One
|November 13, 2012
Summary
Conduct Disorder (CD) is linked to white-matter abnormalities in the uncinate fascicle, a pathway connecting key brain regions involved in emotional regulation. This finding may offer a neurobiological marker for CD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Conduct Disorder (CD) is associated with structural and functional brain abnormalities.
- Previous research implicates the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex in CD pathophysiology.
- The white-matter pathways connecting these regions are potential neurobiological markers for CD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white-matter microstructural integrity in male adolescents with childhood-onset CD.
- To examine the uncinate fascicle, connecting the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, for abnormalities.
- To determine if white-matter integrity serves as a neurobiological marker for CD.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) was used to assess white-matter integrity.
- Voxel-based morphometry of fractional anisotropy (FA) and tractography were employed.
- Male adolescents with CD were compared to age, sex, and SES-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Adolescents with CD showed higher FA in the right external capsule compared to controls.
- Tractography revealed abnormally increased FA in the uncinate fascicle in individuals with CD.
- Increased FA in the uncinate fascicle remained significant after accounting for ADHD symptoms; no differences in streamline counts were found.
Conclusions:
- Conduct Disorder is associated with white-matter microstructural abnormalities in the uncinate fascicle.
- These findings suggest abnormal maturation of white-matter pathways crucial for emotional regulation in CD.
- The uncinate fascicle's integrity may represent a neurobiological marker for CD.
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