Testing the Ecophenotype Hypothesis in Conduct Disorder: Clinical, Neurocognitive, and Neurostructural Correlates of Childhood Maltreatment (360G-Wellcome-342109_Z_25_Z)

Keywords: conduct disorder, childhood maltreatment, children, ecophenotype hypothesis, developmental psychopathology Conduct disorder (CD) is a highly heterogeneous, severe psychiatric condition characterised by persistent antisocial and aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents. Despite a global prevalence of 3% and significant co-morbidity, CD remains under- researched. Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a well-established risk factor for CD. Moreover, the ecophenotype hypothesis proposes that environmental exposures such as CM may shape distinct clinical subtypes within a diagnostic category. A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to explore the association between CM and CD. Following this, to test the ecophenotype hypothesis, the project will draw on assessment datasets from the large (N = 11,875) longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (ABCD Study®). We aim to characterise clinical (symptom severity and functional impairment), neurostructural (grey and white matter), and neurocognitive correlates in youth with CD and a history of CM relative to three comparison groups: maltreated youth without CD, non-maltreated youth with CD and typically developing controls. The project will advance understanding of how CM shapes the clinical, neurocognitive, and neurostructural profiles of CD. Furthermore, findings may inform more refined subgroup models of CD to support the development of tailored interventions across psychiatry, education and forensic services.