Children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD) are at great risk to develop other negative outcomes, such school dropout, delinquency, unemployment, depression, anxiety and other psychiatric problems to name a few. In order to understand and positively influence antisocial and aggressive behavior it is useful to look at the underlying processes on the level of cognition and neurobiology, since these processes represent the mechanisms underlying behavior. Of interest is the functioning of the two main human stress regulation systems: autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituiry-adrenal axis (HPA axis).

Studying cognitive abilities, such as processing of information and regulation of emotion, thought and behavior, i.e. self-regulation, might provide important information why children show antisocial and aggressive behavior, and is more sensitive and specific in interpreting impairments in predisposition. Furthermore, knowledge about brain functioning and cognition might provide important information to understand individual differences in behavior, and might also explain individual differences in responsivity to treatment and outcome.

• aggression
• behavioral problems
• emotion regulation
• information processing
• neurocognition
• odd
• self regulation

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