Verbal, Facial and Autonomic Responses to Empathy-Eliciting Film Clips by Disruptive Male Adolescents with High Versus Low Callous-Unemotional Traits

This study examined empathy-related responding in male adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), high or low on
callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Facial electromyographic (EMG) and heart rate (HR) responses were monitored during exposure
to empathy-inducing film clips portraying sadness, anger or happiness. Self-reports were assessed afterward. In agreement
with expectations, DBD adolescents with high CU traits showed significantly lower levels of empathic sadness than healthy
controls across all response systems. Between DBD subgroups significant differences emerged at the level of autonomic (not
verbal or facial) reactions to sadness, with high CU respondents showing less HR change from baseline than low CU respondents.
The study also examined basal patterns of autonomic function. Resting HR was not different between groups, but resting respiratory
sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was significantly lower in DBD adolescents with high CU traits compared to controls. Results support
the notion that CU traits designate a distinct subgroup of DBD individuals.