Callous-unemotional traits and emotion processing in typically developing youths

Baker, Rosalind Helen (2017). Callous-unemotional traits and emotion processing in typically developing youths. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether callous unemotional (CU) traits in typically developing children and adolescents show similar associations with behavioural and neural responses as seen in clinical and forensic populations. Three investigations, presented in Chapters 3-5, focussed on the behavioural and neural correlates of emotion recognition and processing. An exploration of the behavioural recognition of the six basic emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise) indicated negative correlations between levels of CU traits and accurate recognition of sadness and disgust (Chapter 3). Based on an examination of neural correlates of emotion recognition during a subliminal emotion processing task, which included angry and fearful faces, it was concluded that activation levels in the bilateral amygdala and insula during fear processing, but not anger processing, were negatively correlated with CU traits (Chapter 4). Finally, based on an investigation of the structural integrity in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus (UF), which is a white matter tract reported to be relevant in psychopathy, it was concluded that fractional anisotropy in the right UF was negatively associated with CU traits, but only in youths aged 16-18 years (Chapter 5). These investigations produced novel findings and advanced the understanding of the dimensional nature of CU traits in typically developing youths.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):