3-056 - Underlying Neurocognitive and Emotional Processes in Youth with Callous-Unemotional Traits

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Callous-unemotional traits (CU), which refer to low levels of guilt, empathy, and caring for others, are particularly prevalent in a subgroup of youth with a stable/severe pattern of antisocial behavior. This symposium examines underlying neurocognitive and emotional processes in youth with CU traits using various objective measurement techniques. The session concludes with an expert discussant.
Within a preschool sample, the 1st paper examines the extent to which emotion regulation (ER) and executive functioning (EF) differentiate children with disruptive behavior problems (DBP) with and without CU traits. Results: Children in the CU group had significantly better EF (neurocognitive tasks) and were reported by parents as having less EF problems compared to children in the non-CU group. In contrast, children in the CU group had significantly poorer ER (parent/teacher reports).
Within an elementary age sample, the 2nd paper explores children with CU traits’ sensitivity to punishment measured via a behavioral task (children endured progressively increasing amounts of either white noise or time-out from positive reinforcement in order to gain access to a reward). Results: CU traits were directly proportional to hyposensitivity to punishment and hypersensitivity to reward.
Within an adolescent sample, the 3rd paper utilizes a modified dot probe task during fMRI to examine amygdala responsiveness to both emotional and animacy information. Results: Youth with DBP failed to show appropriate increase in amygdala response to animate relative to inanimate stimuli compared to typically developing youth. Additionally, lower levels of CU traits were associated with greater responses to animate relative to inanimate stimuli.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Paulo Graziano, Florida International University

Discussant

• Luke W Hyde, University of Michigan

Individual Presentations

• Self-Regulation Profile of Preschoolers with Externalizing Behavior Problems with and without Callous-Unemotional Traits - Presenting Author: Paulo Graziano, Florida International University; Alexis Garcia, Florida International University; Katie C. Hart, Florida International University; Taylor Landis, Florida International University

• Exploring the Difference between Types of Punishment in Children with High and Low Scores on an Assessment of Child Psychopathy - Presenting Author: Andre Maharaj, Florida International University; Anibal Gutierrez, University of Miami; Daniel Waschbusch, Pennsylvania State University

• Dysfunction in Animacy Information Processing in Adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Callous-Unemotional traits - Presenting Author: Laura Thornton, Boys Town National Research Hospital; Elizabeth Penner, Boys Town National Research Hospital; Zachary Nolan, Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine; Christopher Adalio, University of California, Berkeley; Stephen Sinclair, National Institute of Mental Health; Harma Meffert, Boys Town National Research Hospital; Soonjo Hwang, University of Nebraska Medical Center; James Blair, NIMH; Stuart Francis White, Boys Town National Research Hospital