Cohn Moran D, Pape Louise E, Schmaal Lianne, van den Brink Wim, van Wingen Guido, Vermeiren Robert R J M, Doreleijers Theo A H, Veltman Dick J, Popma Arne
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University medical center Amsterdam, Duivendrecht, The Netherlands.
Hum Brain Mapp. 2015 Jun;36(6):2396-405. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22779. Epub 2015 Mar 10.
Traditionally, neurobiological research on psychopathy has focused on categorical differences in adults. However, there is evidence that psychopathy is best described by a set of relatively independent personality dimensions, that is, callous-unemotional, grandiose-manipulative, and impulsive-irresponsible traits, which can be reliably detected in juveniles, allowing investigation of the neural mechanisms leading to psychopathy. Furthermore, complex psychiatric disorders like psychopathy are increasingly being conceptualized as disorders of brain networks. The intrinsic organization of the brain in such networks is reflected by coherent fluctuations in resting state networks (RSNs), but these have not been studied in sufficient detail in relation to juvenile psychopathic traits yet. The current study investigated the distinct associations of juvenile psychopathic traits dimensions with RSN connectivity. Resting-state functional MRI and independent component analysis were used to assess RSN connectivity in a large sample of adolescents (n = 130, mean age 17.8 years) from a childhood arrestee cohort. Associations between scores on each of the three psychopathic traits dimensions and connectivity within and between relevant RSNs were investigated. Callous-unemotional traits were related to aberrant connectivity patterns of the default mode network, which has been implicated in self-referential and moral processes. Impulsive-irresponsible traits were associated with altered connectivity patterns in the frontoparietal cognitive control networks. Grandiose-manipulative traits were not associated with altered connectivity patterns. These findings confirm the association between psychopathic traits and brain network connectivity, and considerably add to emerging evidence supporting neurobiological heterogeneity in the processes leading to psychopathy.
传统上，关于精神病态的神经生物学研究主要集中在成年人的类别差异上。然而，有证据表明，精神病态最好用一组相对独立的人格维度来描述，即冷酷无情、浮夸操纵和冲动不负责任的特质，这些特质在青少年中也能可靠地检测到，从而能够对导致精神病态的神经机制进行研究。此外，像精神病态这样的复杂精神障碍越来越被视为脑网络障碍。大脑在这些网络中的内在组织通过静息态网络（RSN）中的连贯波动得以反映，但目前尚未针对青少年精神病态特质对其进行足够详细的研究。本研究调查了青少年精神病态特质维度与RSN连通性之间的独特关联。采用静息态功能磁共振成像和独立成分分析，对来自儿童期被捕者队列的大量青少年样本（n = 130，平均年龄17.8岁）的RSN连通性进行评估。研究了三种精神病态特质维度各自的得分与相关RSN内部及之间的连通性之间的关联。冷酷无情特质与默认模式网络的异常连通模式有关，该网络涉及自我参照和道德过程。冲动不负责任特质与额顶叶认知控制网络中连通性模式的改变有关。浮夸操纵特质与连通性模式的改变无关。这些发现证实了精神病态特质与脑网络连通性之间的关联，并大大补充了新出现的证据，支持了导致精神病态过程中的神经生物学异质性。
