Conduct disorder in young people is associated with differences in surface area across much of the brain compared to typically developing children, new research shows. Conduct disorder (CD) is a common, yet under-recognized condition with symptoms including antisocial or aggressive behaviors, such as, fighting, bullying and rule-breaking. It is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence and often leads to poor social and mental health outcomes.
Unlike more widely recognized disorders such as ADHD and autism, CD is far less researched and understood, even though it is estimated to affect around 3% of children and adolescents worldwide. In the largest study of its kind, researchers at the Universities of Bath and Birmingham in collaboration with research teams across Europe, North America, and Asia, investigated brain structure in 1,185 children with a clinical diagnosis of CD and 1,253 typically developing children. They found that the surface area of the brain's outer layer, the cortex, is significantly reduced in children with CD, suggesting that the development of the brain is different.
They also found that the volume of multiple subcortical brain regions – located deep within the brain - was reduced. Their findings are published today in The Lancet Psychiatry . The joint lead author on the study, Dr Yidian Gao, from the School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health at the University of Birmingham, said: "We know very little about this disorder even though it.
