Naturalistic Emotion and Affiliation-Related Neural Processing and Associations with Callous-Unemotional Traits in Adolescence - PROJECT SUMMARY Antisocial behavior (AB) is one of the most common reasons for childhood mental health referrals. AB also represents a major public health burden, harming families and communities. The presence of callous- unemotional (CU) traits (lack of empathy, remorselessness) predict risk for chronic AB. Although current evidence-based treatments show moderate effects in reducing pediatric AB, children with CU traits still start and end treatment with greater symptom severity. Given these devastating outcomes, precision treatments targeting the specific challenges associated with CU traits are needed. Presently, theoretical models propose that CU traits emerge, in part, due to aberrant emotion processing systems and a psychobiological predisposition towards low social affiliation (low intrinsic motivation/enjoyment for closeness and social bonding). While extant research has characterized neural correlates of emotion processing deficits among CU youth, much less is known about brain-behavior links between CU traits and reactivity to affiliation-relevant information. Moreover, previous brain- based studies have relied on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms that utilize static and isolated stimuli. Studies are needed that leverage novel approaches that better approximate the richness of naturalistic socio-emotional experiences. To address this gap, this F32 proposal will recruit a sample of adolescents (10-17, N=100), oversampled for conduct problems (n=50), to collect movie-watching fMRI data to explore associations between CU traits and neural reactivity to naturalistic displays of emotions and affiliation- relevant stimuli. Adolescents will watch a documentary that evokes empathy and affiliative responses towards an adolescent during scanning. They will also complete reports on CU traits, sensitivity to social affiliation, and relationship closeness. First, a confirmatory region of interest (ROI) approach will be leveraged to examine links between CU traits and neural reactivity when viewing positive versus negative-valanced emotions (Aim 1). ROIs will include regions identified in prior meta-analytic studies: amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampus, superior temporal gyrus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Second, utilizing an exploratory whole-brain analytic approach, relationships between neural reactivity to affiliation-relevant stimuli, reports of social affiliation (e.g., sensitivity to social affiliation, relationship closeness), and CU traits will be investigated (Aim 2). Interactive associations between neural reactivity, social affiliation, and CU traits will also be tested. Importantly, the proposed F32 project builds upon the candidate’s strong background in AB, enabling development of new skills across the domains of neuroimaging methodology and theoretical models of social and affective neuroscience. This project will improve understanding of the aberrant neural markers involved in CU traits. Finally, this proposal provides necessary training for the candidate to become a highly successful clinical-scientist investigating the biological underpinnings of AB and developing novel precision treatments for CU traits and pediatric AB.
