TY - JOUR
T1 - Emotional reactivity in referred youth with disruptive behavior disorders
T2 - The role of the callous-unemotional traits
AU - Masi, Gabriele
AU - Milone, Annarita
AU - Pisano, Simone
AU - Lenzi, Francesca
AU - Muratori, Pietro
AU - Gemo, Ilaria
AU - Bianchi, Laura
AU - Mazzone, Luigi
AU - Postorino, Valentina
AU - Sanges, Veronica
AU - Williams, Riccardo
AU - Vicari, Stefano
PY - 2014/12/15
Y1 - 2014/12/15
N2 - Deficits in emotional reactivity are frequently reported in Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs). A deficit in prosocial emotions, namely the callous unemotional trait. s (CU), may be a mediator of emotional reactivity. Our aim is to investigate subjective emotional reactivity towards visual stimuli with different affective valence in youth. s with DBDs and healthy controls. The clinical sample included 62 youths with DBDs (51 males, 8 to 16 years, mean 11.3±2.1 years), the control group 53 subjects (36 males, 8 to 16 years, mean 10.8±1.5 years). The groups were compared using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), and the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), which explores the affective (pleasant/unpleasant emotional reaction) and arousal (low/high intensity of emotion) dimensions. The DBD group presented higher scores in externalizing and internalizing CBCL scores, and in ICU callous and indifferent subscales. At the IAPS, DBD patients differed from controls in the affective valence of the images, rating less unpleasant neutral and negative images. The CU traits were the only predictor of emotional reactivity in the DBD sample. A less aversive way to interpret neutral and negative stimuli may explain why DBD patients are less responsive to negative reinforcements.
AB - Deficits in emotional reactivity are frequently reported in Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs). A deficit in prosocial emotions, namely the callous unemotional trait. s (CU), may be a mediator of emotional reactivity. Our aim is to investigate subjective emotional reactivity towards visual stimuli with different affective valence in youth. s with DBDs and healthy controls. The clinical sample included 62 youths with DBDs (51 males, 8 to 16 years, mean 11.3±2.1 years), the control group 53 subjects (36 males, 8 to 16 years, mean 10.8±1.5 years). The groups were compared using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), and the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), which explores the affective (pleasant/unpleasant emotional reaction) and arousal (low/high intensity of emotion) dimensions. The DBD group presented higher scores in externalizing and internalizing CBCL scores, and in ICU callous and indifferent subscales. At the IAPS, DBD patients differed from controls in the affective valence of the images, rating less unpleasant neutral and negative images. The CU traits were the only predictor of emotional reactivity in the DBD sample. A less aversive way to interpret neutral and negative stimuli may explain why DBD patients are less responsive to negative reinforcements.
KW - Antisocial behavior
KW - Callous-unemotional traits
KW - Conduct disorder
KW - Oppositional defiant disorder
KW - Psychopathy
KW - Subjective emotional reactivity
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U2 - 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.07.035
DO - 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.07.035
M3 - Article
C2 - 25110316
AN - SCOPUS:84908244714
VL - 220
SP - 426
EP - 432
JO - Psychiatry Research
JF - Psychiatry Research
SN - 0165-1781
IS - 1-2
ER -