Testing the ecophenotype hypothesis: Differences in white matter microstructure in youth with conduct disorder with versus without a history of childhood abuse

Development and Psychopathology, vol. 38, pp. 211–225

Abstract

Abstract Childhood maltreatment is a key risk factor for conduct disorder (CD), and the “ecophenotype hypothesis” suggests that maltreatment-related versus non-maltreatment-related CD are neurobiologically distinct. This may explain inconsistent findings in previous structural connectivity studies of CD. We tested this hypothesis by comparing youth with CD with (CD/+) versus without (CD/−) childhood physical or sexual abuse in white-matter microstructure. Diffusion tensor imaging data were collected from 100 CD and 169 control participants aged 9–18 years. Using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, we compared the CD and control groups in fractional anisotropy, and axial, radial and mean diffusivity, then compared the CD/+ ( n = 39) and CD/− ( n = 61) subgroups and controls. The combined CD group had higher fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum than controls. When divided by abuse history, only the CD/− subgroup exhibited higher corpus callosum fractional anisotropy than controls; the CD/+ subgroup did not differ from controls. Comparing the CD subgroups, the CD/+ subgroup displayed higher superior longitudinal fasciculus axial diffusivity than the CD/− subgroup. Notably, sex-stratified analyses yielded different findings in all-male and all-female samples. Findings support the ecophenotype hypothesis, demonstrating microstructural differences between the CD/+ and CD/− subgroups and emphasizing the importance of considering abuse/maltreatment (and sex) in future studies.

Authors 13

1. Sophie Townend corresponding

   University of Bath

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Bath

   Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK

2. Marlene Staginnus

   University of Bath

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Bath

   Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK

3. Areti Smaragdi
   Affiliation as printed

   Toronto

   Child Development Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada

4. Anne Martinelli

   Goethe University Frankfurt · University Hospital Frankfurt · Hochschule Fresenius

   Affiliation as printed

   Fresenius University of Applied Sciences

   Goethe University

   Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

   School of Psychology, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

5. Anka Bernhard

   Goethe University Frankfurt · University Hospital Frankfurt · Technische Universität Dresden

   Affiliation as printed

   Goethe University

   Technische Universität Dresden

   Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), partner site Leipzig/Dresden, Dresden, Germany

   Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

6. Nora Maria Raschle

   University of Zurich · ETH Zurich

   Affiliation as printed

   University and ETH Zurich

   University of Zurich

   Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, Psychological Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

   Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

7. Gregor Kohls

   Technische Universität Dresden

   Affiliation as printed

   TUD Dresden University of Technology

   Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Partner Site Leipzig/Dresden, Dresden, Germany

8. Kerstin Konrad Aachen JARA-Brain Institute II

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

   RWTH Aachen and Research Centre Juelich

   JARA-Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, RWTH Aachen and Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany

9. Christina Stadler

   University of Basel · University Hospital of Basel · Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Basel

   Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

10. Christine Margarete Freitag

    Goethe University Frankfurt · University Hospital Frankfurt

    Affiliation as printed

    Goethe University

    Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

11. Esther Walton

    University of Bath

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Bath

    Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK

12. Stéphane A. De Brito

    University of Birmingham

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Birmingham

    Birmingham Centre for Neurogenetics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

13. Graeme F. Fairchild

    University of Bath

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Bath

    Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK