Research Audit on Clinical Utility of Dimensional Disruptive Mood and Behavior Psychopathologies in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Practice.

To investigate the utility of dimensional psychopathologies of disruptive mood and behavior disorders (DBDs) by applying latent profile analysis (LPA) for characterization of youth referred to the tertiary outpatient clinic of child and adolescent psychiatry clinic and pharmacological treatment choices. One hundred fifty-eight children and adolescents with significant DBDs symptoms participated. Core dimensional psychopathologies of DBDs (irritability, callous-unemotional trait, and reactive-proactive aggressive behavior), DSM diagnoses, prescribed medications, and behavioral and emotional problems (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL) were measured at baseline (clinic intake) and at 3-month follow-up.

Structural atrophy of the right superior frontal gyrus in adolescents with severe irritability.

Severe irritability is common in youths with psychiatric disorders and results in significant dysfunction across domains (academic, social, and familial). Prior structural MRI studies in the pediatric population demonstrated that aberrations of cortical thickness (CT) and gray matter volume (GMV) in the fronto-striatal-temporal regions which have been associated with irritability. However, the directions of the correlations between structural alteration and irritability in the individual indices were not consistent.