Investigating Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition, Learning, and Regulation among Youths with Conduct Disorder

Gregor Kohls; Sarah  Baumann; Malou  Gundlach; Wolfgang Scharke; Anka Bernhard; Anne Martinelli; Katharina  Ackermann; Linda Kersten; Martin Prätzlich; Helena  Oldenhof; Lucres  Jansen; Lisette van den Boogaard; Areti Smaragdi; Karen Gonzalez-Madruga; Harriet Cornwell; Jack Rogers; Ruth  Pauli; Roberta Clanton; Rosalind Baker; Aitana  Bigorra Gualba; Beate  Herpertz-Dahlmann; Aranzazu  Fernández-Rivas; Arne  Popma; Christina Stadler; Stephane De Brito; James Blair; Christine M. Freitag; Graeme Fairchild; Kerstin Konrad

doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003

Investigating Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition, Learning, and Regulation among Youths with Conduct Disorder

Gregor Kohls
, Sarah Baumann
, Malou Gundlach
, Wolfgang Scharke
, Anka Bernhard
, Anne Martinelli
, Katharina Ackermann
, Linda Kersten
, Martin Prätzlich
, Helena Oldenhof
, Lucres Jansen
, Lisette van den Boogaard
, Areti Smaragdi
, Karen Gonzalez-Madruga
, Harriet Cornwell
, Jack Rogers
, Ruth Pauli
, Roberta Clanton
, Rosalind Baker
, Aitana Bigorra Gualba

Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann, Aranzazu Fernández-Rivas, Arne Popma, Christina Stadler, Stephane De Brito, James Blair, Christine M. Freitag, Graeme Fairchild, Kerstin Konrad

Department of Psychology

RWTH Aachen University
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Center for Addiction and Mental Health
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main
University of Basel
VU University Medical Center
University of Southampton
University of Birmingham
University Hospital Mutua Terrassa
Uniklinikum Aachen
Basurto University Hospital
University Hospital Basel

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

63 Citations (SciVal)

439 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objective: Conduct disorder (CD) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder marked by notably higher prevalence rates for boys than girls. Converging evidence suggests that CD is associated with impairments in emotion recognition, learning, and regulation. However, it is not known whether there are sex differences in the relationship between CD and emotion dysfunction. Prior studies on emotion functioning in CD have so far been underpowered for investigating sex differences. Therefore, our primary aim was to characterize emotion processing skills in a large sample of girls and boys with CD compared to typically developing controls (TDCs) using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Method: We included 542 youths with CD (317 girls) and 710 TDCs (479 girls), 9 to 18 years of age, from a European multisite study (FemNAT-CD). Participants completed three experimental tasks assessing emotion recognition, learning, and regulation, respectively. Data were analyzed to test for effects of group and sex, and group-by-sex interactions, while controlling for potentially confounding factors. Results: Relative to TDCs, youths with CD showed impaired emotion recognition (that was related to more physical and proactive aggression, and higher CU traits), emotional learning (specifically from punishment), and emotion regulation. Boys and girls with CD, however, displayed similar impairments in emotion processing. Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence for a relationship between CD and deficient neurocognitive functioning across three emotional domains that have previously been linked to CD etiology. However, there was no support for sex-specific profiles of emotion dysfunction, suggesting that current neurocognitive models of CD apply equally to both sexes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	263-273
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume	59
Issue number	2
Early online date	23 Apr 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2020

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

FemNAT-CD
callous-unemotional traits
conduct disorder
emotion processing
sex differences

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Developmental and Educational Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003

Kohls_JAACAP_Manuscript_R2Accepted author manuscript, 594 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Kohls, G., Baumann, S., Gundlach, M., Scharke, W., Bernhard, A., Martinelli, A., Ackermann, K., Kersten, L., Prätzlich, M., Oldenhof, H., Jansen, L., van den Boogaard, L., Smaragdi, A., Gonzalez-Madruga, K., Cornwell, H., Rogers, J., Pauli, R., Clanton, R., Baker, R., ... Konrad, K. (2020). Investigating Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition, Learning, and Regulation among Youths with Conduct Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(2), 263-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003

Kohls, G, Baumann, S, Gundlach, M, Scharke, W, Bernhard, A, Martinelli, A, Ackermann, K, Kersten, L, Prätzlich, M, Oldenhof, H, Jansen, L, van den Boogaard, L, Smaragdi, A, Gonzalez-Madruga, K, Cornwell, H, Rogers, J, Pauli, R, Clanton, R, Baker, R, Bigorra Gualba, A, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Fernández-Rivas, A, Popma, A, Stadler, C, De Brito, S, Blair, J, Freitag, CM, Fairchild, G & Konrad, K 2020, 'Investigating Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition, Learning, and Regulation among Youths with Conduct Disorder', Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 263-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003

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abstract = "Objective: Conduct disorder (CD) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder marked by notably higher prevalence rates for boys than girls. Converging evidence suggests that CD is associated with impairments in emotion recognition, learning, and regulation. However, it is not known whether there are sex differences in the relationship between CD and emotion dysfunction. Prior studies on emotion functioning in CD have so far been underpowered for investigating sex differences. Therefore, our primary aim was to characterize emotion processing skills in a large sample of girls and boys with CD compared to typically developing controls (TDCs) using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Method: We included 542 youths with CD (317 girls) and 710 TDCs (479 girls), 9 to 18 years of age, from a European multisite study (FemNAT-CD). Participants completed three experimental tasks assessing emotion recognition, learning, and regulation, respectively. Data were analyzed to test for effects of group and sex, and group-by-sex interactions, while controlling for potentially confounding factors. Results: Relative to TDCs, youths with CD showed impaired emotion recognition (that was related to more physical and proactive aggression, and higher CU traits), emotional learning (specifically from punishment), and emotion regulation. Boys and girls with CD, however, displayed similar impairments in emotion processing. Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence for a relationship between CD and deficient neurocognitive functioning across three emotional domains that have previously been linked to CD etiology. However, there was no support for sex-specific profiles of emotion dysfunction, suggesting that current neurocognitive models of CD apply equally to both sexes.",

keywords = "FemNAT-CD, callous-unemotional traits, conduct disorder, emotion processing, sex differences",

author = "Gregor Kohls and Sarah Baumann and Malou Gundlach and Wolfgang Scharke and Anka Bernhard and Anne Martinelli and Katharina Ackermann and Linda Kersten and Martin Pr{\"a}tzlich and Helena Oldenhof and Lucres Jansen and \{van den Boogaard\}, Lisette and Areti Smaragdi and Karen Gonzalez-Madruga and Harriet Cornwell and Jack Rogers and Ruth Pauli and Roberta Clanton and Rosalind Baker and \{Bigorra Gualba\}, Aitana and Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann and Aranzazu Fern{\'a}ndez-Rivas and Arne Popma and Christina Stadler and \{De Brito\}, Stephane and James Blair and Freitag, \{Christine M.\} and Graeme Fairchild and Kerstin Konrad",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003",

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T1 - Investigating Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition, Learning, and Regulation among Youths with Conduct Disorder

AU - Kohls, Gregor

AU - Baumann, Sarah

AU - Gundlach, Malou

AU - Scharke, Wolfgang

AU - Bernhard, Anka

AU - Martinelli, Anne

AU - Ackermann, Katharina

AU - Kersten, Linda

AU - Prätzlich, Martin

AU - Oldenhof, Helena

AU - Jansen, Lucres

AU - van den Boogaard, Lisette

AU - Smaragdi, Areti

AU - Gonzalez-Madruga, Karen

AU - Cornwell, Harriet

AU - Rogers, Jack

AU - Pauli, Ruth

AU - Clanton, Roberta

AU - Baker, Rosalind

AU - Bigorra Gualba, Aitana

AU - Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate

AU - Fernández-Rivas, Aranzazu

AU - Popma, Arne

AU - Stadler, Christina

AU - De Brito, Stephane

AU - Blair, James

AU - Freitag, Christine M.

AU - Fairchild, Graeme

AU - Konrad, Kerstin

PY - 2020/2/1

Y1 - 2020/2/1

N2 - Objective: Conduct disorder (CD) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder marked by notably higher prevalence rates for boys than girls. Converging evidence suggests that CD is associated with impairments in emotion recognition, learning, and regulation. However, it is not known whether there are sex differences in the relationship between CD and emotion dysfunction. Prior studies on emotion functioning in CD have so far been underpowered for investigating sex differences. Therefore, our primary aim was to characterize emotion processing skills in a large sample of girls and boys with CD compared to typically developing controls (TDCs) using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Method: We included 542 youths with CD (317 girls) and 710 TDCs (479 girls), 9 to 18 years of age, from a European multisite study (FemNAT-CD). Participants completed three experimental tasks assessing emotion recognition, learning, and regulation, respectively. Data were analyzed to test for effects of group and sex, and group-by-sex interactions, while controlling for potentially confounding factors. Results: Relative to TDCs, youths with CD showed impaired emotion recognition (that was related to more physical and proactive aggression, and higher CU traits), emotional learning (specifically from punishment), and emotion regulation. Boys and girls with CD, however, displayed similar impairments in emotion processing. Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence for a relationship between CD and deficient neurocognitive functioning across three emotional domains that have previously been linked to CD etiology. However, there was no support for sex-specific profiles of emotion dysfunction, suggesting that current neurocognitive models of CD apply equally to both sexes.

AB - Objective: Conduct disorder (CD) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder marked by notably higher prevalence rates for boys than girls. Converging evidence suggests that CD is associated with impairments in emotion recognition, learning, and regulation. However, it is not known whether there are sex differences in the relationship between CD and emotion dysfunction. Prior studies on emotion functioning in CD have so far been underpowered for investigating sex differences. Therefore, our primary aim was to characterize emotion processing skills in a large sample of girls and boys with CD compared to typically developing controls (TDCs) using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Method: We included 542 youths with CD (317 girls) and 710 TDCs (479 girls), 9 to 18 years of age, from a European multisite study (FemNAT-CD). Participants completed three experimental tasks assessing emotion recognition, learning, and regulation, respectively. Data were analyzed to test for effects of group and sex, and group-by-sex interactions, while controlling for potentially confounding factors. Results: Relative to TDCs, youths with CD showed impaired emotion recognition (that was related to more physical and proactive aggression, and higher CU traits), emotional learning (specifically from punishment), and emotion regulation. Boys and girls with CD, however, displayed similar impairments in emotion processing. Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence for a relationship between CD and deficient neurocognitive functioning across three emotional domains that have previously been linked to CD etiology. However, there was no support for sex-specific profiles of emotion dysfunction, suggesting that current neurocognitive models of CD apply equally to both sexes.

KW - FemNAT-CD

KW - callous-unemotional traits

KW - conduct disorder

KW - emotion processing

KW - sex differences

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DO - 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.003

M3 - Article

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JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

IS - 2

ER -

Investigating Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition, Learning, and Regulation among Youths with Conduct Disorder

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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