Cortical structure and subcortical volumes in conduct disorder:A coordinated analysis of 15 international cohorts from the ENIGMA Antisocial Behavior working group

Background: Conduct disorder is associated with the highest burden of any mental disorder in childhood, yet its neurobiology remains unclear. Inconsistent findings limit our understanding of the role of brain structure alterations in conduct disorder. Therefore, this study aims to identify the most robust and replicable brain structural correlates of conduct disorder. Methods: The ENIGMA-Antisocial Behavior Working Group performed a coordinated analysis of structural MRI data from 15 international cohorts. Eligibility criteria were mean sample age ≤18 years, data available on sex, age and research or clinical diagnoses of conduct disorder, and at least 10 conduct disorder and 10 typically-developing participants. 3D T1-weighted MRI scans of youth with conduct disorder and typically-developing youth were pre-processed using ENIGMA-standardised protocols. We assessed group differences in cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes using general linear models, adjusting for age, sex, and total intracranial volume. Group-by-sex, group-by-age interactions, and DSM-subtype comparisons (childhood-onset versus adolescent-onset, low versus high levels of callous-unemotional traits were investigated. People with lived experience of conduct disorder were not involved.Findings: We collated individual participant data from 1,185 youth with conduct disorder (339 female, 28·6%) and 1,253 typically-developing youth (446 female, 35·6%), with a mean age of 13·38 years (SD 3.01; range 7-21). Informa[on on race and ethnicity was not available. Relative to typically-developing youth, the conduct disorder group had lower surface area in 26 cortical regions and lower total surface area (Cohen’s ds=0·09-0·26). There were cortical thickness differences in two regions (ds=0·13-0·16). The conduct disorder group also had smaller amygdala, accumbens, thalamus, and hippocampus volumes (ds=0·11-0·14). Most differences survived adjusting for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbidity or IQ. No group-by-sex or group-by-age interactions were detected. Limited differences were found between conduct disorder subtypes, whereas all subtypes displayed shared alterations compared to controls. However, those with high callous-unemotional traits showed more widespread differences compared to controls.Interpretation: Our findings provide robust evidence of subtle, yet widespread, brain structural alterations in conduct disorder across subtypes and sexes, mostly in surface area. These findings provide further evidence that brain alterations may contribute to conduct disorder and highlight the need for greater consideration of this under-recognised disorder

Atypical Frontotemporal Connectivity of Cognitive Empathy in Male Adolescents With Conduct Disorder

Background: It has been suggested that adolescents with conduct disorder (CD) may have a deficit in the affective and cognitive domains empathy, but studies exploring networks within the key brain regions of affective and cognitive empathy in adolescents with CD are lacking.Methods: Functional connectivity (FC) analyses among key brain regions of the affective and cognitive empathy with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were conducted in 30 adolescent boys with CD and 33 demographically matched healthy controls (HCs).Results: Atypical FC within the key brain regions of affective empathy was not observed in CD adolescents. However, we found that CD adolescents showed decreased frontotemporal connectivity within the key brain regions of cognitive empathy in relation to HCs, that is, the FCs between right temporoparietal junction and ventromedial prefrontal cortex as well as dorsomedial prefrontal cortex.Conclusion: These findings may provide insight into neural mechanism underlying a cognitive empathy deficiency of CD adolescents from the perspective of FC

Does the Relationship between Age and Brain Structure Differ in Youth with Conduct Disorder?

Conduct disorder (CD) is characterised by persistent antisocial and aggressive behaviour and typically emerges in childhood or adolescence. Although several authors have proposed that CD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, very little evidence is available about brain development in this condition. Structural brain alterations have been observed in CD, and some indirect evidence for delayed brain maturation has been reported. However, no detailed analysis of age-related changes in brain structure in youth with CD has been conducted. Using cross-sectional MRI data, this study aimed to explore differences in brain maturation in youth with CD versus healthy controls to provide further understanding of the neurodevelopmental processes underlying CD. 291 CD cases (153 males) and 379 healthy controls (160 males) aged 9–18 years (Mage = 14.4) were selected from the European multisite FemNAT-CD study. Structural MRI scans were analysed using surface-based morphometry followed by application of the ENIGMA quality control protocols. An atlas-based approach was used to investigate group differences and test for group-by-age and group-by-age-by-sex interactions in cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volumes. Relative to healthy controls, the CD group showed lower surface area across frontal, temporal and parietal regions as well as lower total surface area. No significant group-by-age or group-by-age-by-sex interactions were observed on any brain structure measure. These findings suggest that CD is associated with lower surface area across multiple cortical regions, but do not support the idea that CD is associated with delayed brain maturation, at least within the age bracket considered here.</p

A systematic review of optical coherence tomography findings in adults with mild traumatic brain injury

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common with many patients suffering disabling long-term sequelae, with visual symptoms frequently reported. There are no objective biomarkers of mTBI that are routinely used in clinical practice. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been used in mTBI research, as it enables visualisation of the neuroretina, allowing measurement of the retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell layer. This systematic review aims to appraise the available literature and assess whether there are significant changes within the retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell layer in subjects after mTBI. A systematic review was carried out in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (Number: CRD42022360498). Four databases were searched for relevant literature published from inception until 1 September 2022. Abstracts and full texts were screened by three independent reviewers. Initial screening of databases yielded 341 publications, of these, three fulfilled all the criteria for inclusion. All three studies showed thinning of the retinal nerve fibre layer, whereas there were no significant changes in the ganglion cell layer. This systematic review demonstrated that thinning of the retinal nerve fibre layer (but not of the ganglion cell layer) is associated with mTBI. It provides preliminary evidence for the use of the retinal nerve fibre layer as a potential biomarker of damage to the visual system in mTBI. Further prospective longitudinal studies ensuring uniform diagnosis and accurate phenotyping of mTBI are needed to understand the effects on the visual system and potential of OCT as a prognostic biomarker

Deviations between the submitted manuscript and pre-registration: A mega-analysis of cortical structure and subcortical volumes in youth

Outline of the deviations between the pre-registration and the version of the manuscript submitted to Lancet Psychiatry on 14/03/2024. This pertains to the pre-registration "A mega-analysis of cortical structure and subcortical volumes in conduct disorder in youth: Influence of sex, age-of-onset and callous-unemotional traits" (https://osf.io/v6bdc)

Fragility Assessment of a Long-Unit Prestressed Concrete Composite Continuous Girder Bridge with Corrugated Steel Webs Subjected to Near-Fault Pulse-like Ground Motions Considering Spatial Variability Effects

Prestressed concrete composite girder bridges with corrugated steel webs (PCCGBCSWs) are extensively employed in bridge construction because of their low dead weight, fast construction, and high prestressing efficiency. Moreover, PCCGBCSWs will experience deformation and failure of the corrugated steel webs, including steel fatigue and fracture, during earthquakes. These changes will introduce safety hazards, which can be addressed via bridge disaster prevention and mitigation. Because near-fault pulse-like ground motions (NFPLGMs) have high peak accelerations, these motions can easily cause damage to a bridge. Therefore, in this study, a seismic fragility assessment is performed for long-unit PCCGBCSWs subjected to NFPLGMs considering spatial variability effects, and a sensitivity evaluation of the seismic fragility is conducted considering girder type, bearing type, ground motion type, and apparent wave velocity to offer a point of reference for seismic design. The results show that PCCGBCSWs are less vulnerable than concrete bridges. The shock absorption effect of the friction pendulum bearing is better than that of the viscous damper. The impact of NFPLGMs on bridges is greater than that of near-fault non-pulse-like ground motions (NFNPLMs) and far-fault ground motions (FFGMs). The seismic fragility under nonuniform excitation conditions is greater than that under uniform excitation conditions, showing an increasing trend with decreasing apparent wave velocity