Striatal and Limbic Gray Matter Volumes as Moderators of Treatment Outcomes for Boys with Early-Onset Conduct Problems

• In Event: Experimental Neurocriminology: Randomized, Controlled Trials Involving Biological Manipulations or Moderators

Abstract

Although interventions that include child-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy and parent management training are generally effective at reducing conduct problems (CP) among children, these interventions are not equally effective for all youth (Hawes et al., 2014). Some have suggested that subtle abnormalities with striatal and limbic brain regions may help delineate youth with severe and chronic forms of CP that are resistant to traditional treatments (Blair, 2007). This study will examine whether individual differences in GMV within these brain regions moderates the effectiveness of an empirically supported multi-modal intervention (i.e., Stop Now and Plan [SNAP]) for children exhibiting early onset CP. Participants are boys (mean age=10.4) with clinically significant CP who were randomly assignment to receive the SNAP intervention (n=33) or standard treatment services in the community (n=24). Prior to treatment, high resolution structural images were acquired using a 3T Siemens scanner and GMV for targeted limbic structures (i.e., amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens) were extracted using automated segmentation. Parent-report measures of boys externalizing problems were collected prior to treatment and at follow-up assessments 3, 9 and 15 months later. Longitudinal analysis will examine whether pre-treatment differences in striatal and limbic GMV moderates the effects the SNAP intervention has on boys’ externalizing problems.

Authors

• Dustin A. Pardini, Arizona State University

• Jeffrey D. Burke, University of Connecticut

• Areti Smaragdi, Child Development Institute

• Jamie Hanson, University of Pittsburgh