Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30955107›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2019

Methylphenidate administration promotes sociability and reduces aggression in a mouse model of callousness.

Francesca Zoratto, Francesca Franchi, Simone Macrì, Giovanni Laviola

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Article in Psychopharmacology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Francesca ZorattoReference Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161, Rome, Italy. francesca.zoratto@iss.it.
Francesca FranchiReference Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161, Rome, Italy.
Simone MacrìReference Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161, Rome, Italy.
Giovanni LaviolaReference Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161, Rome, Italy. giovanni.laviola@iss.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0388-0835

Funding

Seventh Framework Programme Grant agreement no. 603016
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleDeficits in empathy constitute a distinctive feature of several psychopathologies, including conduct disorder (CD). The co-occurrence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, excess rates of aggression and violation of societal norms confers specific risk for adult psychopathy. To date, the off-label use of methylphenidate (MPH) constitutes the drug treatment of choice.

objectivesHerein, we tested the therapeutic potential of MPH in a recently devised mouse model recapitulating the core phenotypic abnormalities of CD.

methodsTwo subgroups of BALB/cJ male mice exhibiting opposite profiles of emotional contagion (i.e. socially transmitted adoption of another's emotional states) were investigated for reactive aggression, sociability, attention control, anxiety-related behaviours and locomotor activity, in response to MPH administration (0.0, 3.0 or 6.0 mg/kg).

resultsOur data indicate that mice selected for excess callousness exhibit phenotypic abnormalities isomorphic to the symptoms of CD: stability of the low emotional contagion trait, increased aggression and reduced sociability. In accordance with our predictions, MPH reduced aggression and increased sociability in callous mice; yet, it failed to restore the low responsiveness to the emotions of a conspecific in pain, isomorphic to CU traits.

conclusionsAlthough our data support the notion that MPH may contribute to the management of excess aggression in CD patients, additional studies shall identify specific treatments to target the callousness domain. The latter, unaffected by MPH in our experimental model, demands focused consideration whereby it constitutes a specifier associated with a worse prognosis.

Indexed as

Disease Models, AnimalAggressionAnimalsAttentionConduct DisorderDopamine Uptake InhibitorsEmotionsEmpathyMaleMethylphenidateMiceMice, Inbred BALB CDopamine Uptake InhibitorsMethylphenidateCallous-unemotional traitsConduct disorderEmpathy for painMethylphenidatePsychopathy

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.