Structural Brain Correlates of Externalizing Traits and Symptoms in the IMAGEN Sample

The IMAGEN Consortium

doi:10.1037/per0000701

Structural Brain Correlates of Externalizing Traits and Symptoms in the IMAGEN Sample

The IMAGEN Consortium

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

1 Citation (Scopus)

17 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The evidence supporting the presence of individual brain structure correlates of the externalizing spectrum (EXT) is sparse and mixed. To date, large-sample studies of brain–EXT relations have mainly found null to very small effects by focusing exclusively on either EXT-related personality traits (e.g., Hyatt et al., 2022) or EXT-related disorders/symptoms (e.g., Mewton et al., 2022). In this preregistered study using IMAGEN data (N = 1,370), we investigated the structural brain correlates of EXT factors that comprise both personality (e.g., antagonism) and psychopathology constructs (e.g., conduct disorder) across levels of morphometric specificity. Brain morphometry was operationalized in terms of omnibus measures (e.g., total brain volume), subcortical volume, and Desikan atlas regions (N = 161 structural magnetic resonance imaging metrics). We operationalized our integrated personality–psychopathology EXT through exploratory factor analyses of EXT-related measures, which identified two dimensions—nonsubstance use and substance use—and one overarching EXT domain. The results were consistent with previous large-sample neuroscientific investigations of EXT: The vast majority of relations were null, and all effect sizes were very small (largest marginal R2,.02). Preregistered supplementary analyses indicated that all significant relations found were driven by total intracranial volume and sex of the participant and became nonsignificant following the inclusion of these covariates. We conclude with suggestions regarding the importance of relevant covariates and large samples in clinical neuroscientific investigations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	43-56
Number of pages	14
Journal	Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/per0000701
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2025

Keywords

externalizing
neuroscience
personality
psychopathology

Access to Document

10.1037/per0000701

EXT_IMAGEN Manuscript_10.4.23Submitted manuscript, 649 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{b370668a125b4daa876e626479cc4b66,

title = "Structural Brain Correlates of Externalizing Traits and Symptoms in the IMAGEN Sample",

abstract = "The evidence supporting the presence of individual brain structure correlates of the externalizing spectrum (EXT) is sparse and mixed. To date, large-sample studies of brain–EXT relations have mainly found null to very small effects by focusing exclusively on either EXT-related personality traits (e.g., Hyatt et al., 2022) or EXT-related disorders/symptoms (e.g., Mewton et al., 2022). In this preregistered study using IMAGEN data (N = 1,370), we investigated the structural brain correlates of EXT factors that comprise both personality (e.g., antagonism) and psychopathology constructs (e.g., conduct disorder) across levels of morphometric specificity. Brain morphometry was operationalized in terms of omnibus measures (e.g., total brain volume), subcortical volume, and Desikan atlas regions (N = 161 structural magnetic resonance imaging metrics). We operationalized our integrated personality–psychopathology EXT through exploratory factor analyses of EXT-related measures, which identified two dimensions—nonsubstance use and substance use—and one overarching EXT domain. The results were consistent with previous large-sample neuroscientific investigations of EXT: The vast majority of relations were null, and all effect sizes were very small (largest marginal R2,.02). Preregistered supplementary analyses indicated that all significant relations found were driven by total intracranial volume and sex of the participant and became nonsignificant following the inclusion of these covariates. We conclude with suggestions regarding the importance of relevant covariates and large samples in clinical neuroscientific investigations.",

keywords = "externalizing, neuroscience, personality, psychopathology",

author = "{The IMAGEN Consortium} and Phillips, {Nathaniel L.} and Sharpe, {Brinkley M.} and Hyatt, {Courtland S.} and Owens, {Max M.} and Carter, {Nathan T.} and Lynam, {Donald R.} and Tobias Banaschewski and Bokde, {Arun L.W.} and Gareth Barker and Sylvane Desrivi{\`e}res and Herta Flor and Antoine Grigis and Penny Gowland and Andreas Heinz and R{\"u}diger Br{\"u}hl and Martinot, {Jean Luc} and Martinot, {Marie Laure Paill{\`e}re} and Eric Artiges and Frauke Nees and Orfanos, {Dimitri Papadopoulos} and Herve Lemaitre and Tom{\'a}{\v s} Paus and Luise Poustka and Nathalie Holz and Christian Baeuchl and Smolka, {Michael N.} and Nilakshi Vaidya and Henrik Walter and Robert Whelan and Gunter Schumann and Hugh Garavan and Miller, {Joshua D.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 American Psychological Association",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1037/per0000701",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

pages = "43--56",

journal = "Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment",

issn = "1949-2715",

publisher = "American Psychological Association Inc.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Structural Brain Correlates of Externalizing Traits and Symptoms in the IMAGEN Sample

AU - The IMAGEN Consortium

AU - Phillips, Nathaniel L.

AU - Sharpe, Brinkley M.

AU - Hyatt, Courtland S.

AU - Owens, Max M.

AU - Carter, Nathan T.

AU - Lynam, Donald R.

AU - Banaschewski, Tobias

AU - Bokde, Arun L.W.

AU - Barker, Gareth

AU - Desrivières, Sylvane

AU - Flor, Herta

AU - Grigis, Antoine

AU - Gowland, Penny

AU - Heinz, Andreas

AU - Brühl, Rüdiger

AU - Martinot, Jean Luc

AU - Martinot, Marie Laure Paillère

AU - Artiges, Eric

AU - Nees, Frauke

AU - Orfanos, Dimitri Papadopoulos

AU - Lemaitre, Herve

AU - Paus, Tomáš

AU - Poustka, Luise

AU - Holz, Nathalie

AU - Baeuchl, Christian

AU - Smolka, Michael N.

AU - Vaidya, Nilakshi

AU - Walter, Henrik

AU - Whelan, Robert

AU - Schumann, Gunter

AU - Garavan, Hugh

AU - Miller, Joshua D.

PY - 2025/1/1

Y1 - 2025/1/1

N2 - The evidence supporting the presence of individual brain structure correlates of the externalizing spectrum (EXT) is sparse and mixed. To date, large-sample studies of brain–EXT relations have mainly found null to very small effects by focusing exclusively on either EXT-related personality traits (e.g., Hyatt et al., 2022) or EXT-related disorders/symptoms (e.g., Mewton et al., 2022). In this preregistered study using IMAGEN data (N = 1,370), we investigated the structural brain correlates of EXT factors that comprise both personality (e.g., antagonism) and psychopathology constructs (e.g., conduct disorder) across levels of morphometric specificity. Brain morphometry was operationalized in terms of omnibus measures (e.g., total brain volume), subcortical volume, and Desikan atlas regions (N = 161 structural magnetic resonance imaging metrics). We operationalized our integrated personality–psychopathology EXT through exploratory factor analyses of EXT-related measures, which identified two dimensions—nonsubstance use and substance use—and one overarching EXT domain. The results were consistent with previous large-sample neuroscientific investigations of EXT: The vast majority of relations were null, and all effect sizes were very small (largest marginal R2,.02). Preregistered supplementary analyses indicated that all significant relations found were driven by total intracranial volume and sex of the participant and became nonsignificant following the inclusion of these covariates. We conclude with suggestions regarding the importance of relevant covariates and large samples in clinical neuroscientific investigations.

AB - The evidence supporting the presence of individual brain structure correlates of the externalizing spectrum (EXT) is sparse and mixed. To date, large-sample studies of brain–EXT relations have mainly found null to very small effects by focusing exclusively on either EXT-related personality traits (e.g., Hyatt et al., 2022) or EXT-related disorders/symptoms (e.g., Mewton et al., 2022). In this preregistered study using IMAGEN data (N = 1,370), we investigated the structural brain correlates of EXT factors that comprise both personality (e.g., antagonism) and psychopathology constructs (e.g., conduct disorder) across levels of morphometric specificity. Brain morphometry was operationalized in terms of omnibus measures (e.g., total brain volume), subcortical volume, and Desikan atlas regions (N = 161 structural magnetic resonance imaging metrics). We operationalized our integrated personality–psychopathology EXT through exploratory factor analyses of EXT-related measures, which identified two dimensions—nonsubstance use and substance use—and one overarching EXT domain. The results were consistent with previous large-sample neuroscientific investigations of EXT: The vast majority of relations were null, and all effect sizes were very small (largest marginal R2,.02). Preregistered supplementary analyses indicated that all significant relations found were driven by total intracranial volume and sex of the participant and became nonsignificant following the inclusion of these covariates. We conclude with suggestions regarding the importance of relevant covariates and large samples in clinical neuroscientific investigations.

KW - externalizing

KW - neuroscience

KW - personality

KW - psychopathology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85216052394&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/per0000701

DO - 10.1037/per0000701

M3 - Article

C2 - 39818930

AN - SCOPUS:85216052394

SN - 1949-2715

VL - 16

SP - 43

EP - 56

JO - Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment

JF - Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment

IS - 1

ER -

Structural Brain Correlates of Externalizing Traits and Symptoms in the IMAGEN Sample

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this