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Neural correlates of emotional processes in adolescents with conduct disorder

Research Project
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01.02.2014
 - 30.09.2017

In addition to psychosocial factors that contribute to aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents, there has recently been an increasing interest in the neurobiological underpinnings of aggression and violence. Modern neuroimaging, in particular functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), has considerably improved our knowledge regarding the neural basis of conduct disorder (CD) in adolescents. An important conclusion from previous studies is that the neural mechanisms underlying different types of aggressive behaviour are very heterogeneous. This project will aim at identifying neural alterations of emotional processes in two subtypes of conduct disorder differing in regard to the occurrence of callous unemotional traits. Neural mechanisms of emotion perception and emotion regulation will be investigated using a fMRI paradigm that is based on a previous behavioural pilot study in 35 CD patients with high callous unemotional traits (emotionally cold aggression subtype) and in 35 CD patients with low callous unemotional traits (emotionally hot aggression subtype) and 35 healthy control participants. It is hypothesized that neural mechanisms of emotion regulation are affected in CD patients with low callous unemotional traits whereas CD patients with high callous unemotional traits show deficits in neural mechanisms of affective empathy, which are in turn related to impaired emotion perception. Moreover, the role of autonomic nervous system function will be assessed.Altogether the project is expected to substantially contribute to the pathophysiological understanding and subtyping of different forms of aggression. Such improved understanding of pathological aggression will aid the development of more specific forms of treatment tailored to the pathophysiological mechanisms of aggressive behaviour.

Members (6)

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Christina Stadler

Principal Investigator
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Marianne Mutter

Project Member
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Lynn Valérie Fehlbaum

Project Member
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Manuel Massell

Project Member
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Reto Furger

Project Member
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Willeke Menks

Project Member