Meeting Summary
Research on Antisocial Behaviors in Children: Future Directions
April 1, 2007
Bethesda, Maryland
Sponsored by:
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Division of Developmental Translational Research
In April 2007, NIMH hosted a workshop that focused on identifying target areas for new research in the field of disruptive behavior disorders, specifically related to conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). The workshop brought together researchers and NIMH staff in the areas of basic and clinical research to discuss promising research directions and resources necessary to spur scientific advances in understanding the causes and mechanisms underlying disruptive behaviors in children and adolescents. The scientific opportunities that were discussed for advancing this field of research were: developing predictive measures and/or biomarkers (e.g., genes, family history, clinical observation) to understand who is most at-risk; studies on genetics and gene and environment interaction to understand the mechanisms involved in the development of these disorders; use of neural imaging to elucidate brain regions and circuitry involved in CD and ODD; examining the developmental pathways of gene, gene by environment, and brain functioning to consider multiple phenotypes of CD and ODD; and co-morbidity with other mental disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and substance abuse.
For more information, please contact Eve Mościcki at
em15y@nih.gov .
