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Kruithof ES, Klaus J, Schutter DJLG. Cerebellar Asymmetry of Motivational Direction: Anger-Dependent Effects of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Aggression in Healthy Volunteers. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:1426-1434. [PMID: 38172315 PMCID: PMC11269334 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01644-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
It has recently been theorized that the frontal asymmetry of approach- and avoidance-related motivation is mirrored in the posterolateral cerebellum. Accordingly, left-to-right dominant cerebellar activity is associated with avoidance-related motivation, whereas right-to-left dominant cerebellar activity is associated with approach-related motivation. The aim of this study was to examine the cerebellar asymmetry of motivational direction in approach-related behavior in the context of aggression. In this randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover study, thirty healthy right-handed adult volunteers received 2 mA active or sham left cathodal-right anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the cerebellum on two separate occasions while engaging in the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) task to measure aggressive behavior. Self-reported state anger was assessed before, halfway and immediately after the task, and heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured during the task. No main effects of tDCS on aggressive behavior, heart rate and HRV were found. Higher state anger before and during the PSAP task was associated with increased aggressive behavior in the active compared to sham tDCS condition. Aggressive behavior was positively correlated with heart rate during active tDCS, while an inverse association was observed during sham tDCS. Results provide support for the cerebellar asymmetry of motivational direction in approach-related behavior and illustrate the importance of affective state-dependency in tDCS-related effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline S Kruithof
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Jana Klaus
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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2
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Wang Y, Becker B, Wang J, Wang Y, Zhang L, Mei Y, Li H, Lei Y. Exaggerated sensitivity to threat and reduced medial prefrontal engagement during threat generalization in reactive aggressive adolescents. Neuroimage 2024; 294:120645. [PMID: 38734156 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggressive adolescents tend to exhibit abnormal fear acquisition and extinction, and reactive aggressive adolescents are often more anxious. However, the relationship between fear generalization and reactive aggression (RA) remains unknown. According to Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) scores, 61 adolescents were divided into two groups, namely, a high RA group (N = 30) and a low aggression (LA) group (N = 31). All participants underwent three consecutive phases of the Pavlovian conditioning paradigm (i.e., habituation, acquisition, and generalization), and neural activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was assessed by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The stimuli were ten circles with varying sizes, including two conditioned stimuli (CSs) and eight generalization stimuli (GSs). A scream at 85 dB served as the auditory unconditioned stimulus (US). The US expectancy ratings of both CSs and GSs were higher in the RA group than in the LA group. The fNIRS results showed that CSs and GSs evoked lower mPFC activation in the RA group compared to the LA group during fear generalization. These findings suggest that abnormalities in fear acquisition and generalization are prototypical dysregulations in adolescents with RA. They provide neurocognitive evidence for dysregulated fear learning in the mechanisms underlying adolescents with RA, highlighting the need to develop emotional regulation interventions for these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhen Wang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jinxia Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Liangyou Zhang
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ying Mei
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Hong Li
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Lei
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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3
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Kleinert T, Nash K. Trait Aggression is Reflected by a Lower Temporal Stability of EEG Resting Networks. Brain Topogr 2024; 37:514-523. [PMID: 36400856 PMCID: PMC11199292 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-022-00929-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Trait aggression can lead to catastrophic consequences for individuals and society. However, it remains unclear how aggressive people differ from others regarding basic, task-independent brain characteristics. We used EEG microstate analysis to investigate how the temporal organization of neural resting networks might help explain inter-individual differences in aggression. Microstates represent whole-brain networks, which are stable for short timeframes (40-120 ms) before quickly transitioning into other microstate types. Recent research demonstrates that the general temporal stability of microstates across types predicts higher levels of self-control and inhibitory control, and lower levels of risk-taking preferences. Given that these outcomes are inversely related to aggression, we investigated whether microstate stability at rest would predict lower levels of trait aggression. As males show higher levels of aggression than females, and males and females express aggression differently, we also tested for possible gender-differences. As hypothesized, people with higher levels of trait aggression showed lower microstate stability. This effect was moderated by gender, with men showing stronger associations compared to women. These findings support the notion that temporal dynamics of sub-second resting networks predict complex human traits. Furthermore, they provide initial indications of gender-differences in the functional significance of EEG microstates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kleinert
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Ardeystr. 67, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Kyle Nash
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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Liu W, Zhao J, Ding C, Chen H. The neurofunctional basis of human aggression varies by levels of femininity. Soc Neurosci 2024; 19:137-149. [PMID: 39039838 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2024.2382768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Aggression can be categorized into reactive aggression (RA) and proactive aggression (PA) based on their underlying motivations. However, previous research has rarely identified the relationship between femininity and RA/PA, and there is a lack of understanding regarding the femininity-related neurofunctional basis of these aggressive behaviors. Thus, this study first examined the relationships between femininity and aggression, then explored the aggression-by-femininity interactions on the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations using resting-state fMRI among 705 university participants (mean age = 19.14 ± 0.99). The behavioral data indicated that femininity was more negatively associated with RA and PA when masculinity was controlled for. Additionally, the neural data revealed that femininity-specific relationships of RA in the left middle occipital gyrus (i.e. individuals with low femininity had positive relationships between RA and the left middle occipital gyrus, whereas those with high femininity had negative relationships) as well as of PA in the left middle frontal gyrus (i.e. individuals with high femininity showed significant negative relationships, whereas those with low femininity did not exhibit significant relationships). These findings reflect that individuals with varying levels of femininity exhibit distinct neural bases when expressing different subtypes of aggression, which are associated with societal expectations of gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijun Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Cody Ding
- Department of Education Sciences & Professional Programs, University of Missouri-St. Louis,St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hong Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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5
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Knyazev GG, Savostyanov AN, Bocharov AV, Saprigyn AE. Representational similarity analysis of self- versus other-processing: Effect of trait aggressiveness. Aggress Behav 2024; 50:e22125. [PMID: 38268387 DOI: 10.1002/ab.22125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In this study, using the self/other adjective judgment task, we aimed to explore how people perceive themselves in comparison to various other people, including friends, strangers, and those they dislike. Next, using representational similarity analysis, we sought to elucidate how these perceptual similarities and differences are represented in brain activity and how aggressiveness is related to these representations. Behavioral ratings show that, on average, people tend to consider themselves more like their friends than neutral strangers, and least like people they dislike. This pattern of similarity is positively correlated with neural representation in social and cognitive circuits of the brain and negatively correlated with neural representation in emotional centers that may represent emotional arousal associated with various social objects. Aggressiveness seems to predispose a person to a pattern of behavior that is the opposite of the average pattern, that is, a tendency to think of oneself as less like one's friends and more like one's enemies. This corresponds to an increase in the similarity of the behavioral representation with the representation in the emotional centers and a decrease in its similarity with the representation in the social and cognitive centers. This can be seen as evidence that in individuals prone to aggression, behavior in the social environment may depend to a greater extent on the representation of social objects in the emotional rather than social and cognitive brain circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady G Knyazev
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexander N Savostyanov
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Laboratory of Psychological Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Andrey V Bocharov
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexander E Saprigyn
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
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6
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Choy O, Tan G, Wong YC. The Effect of Multi-Session Prefrontal Cortical Stimulation on Aggression: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Trial. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1729. [PMID: 37629586 PMCID: PMC10455646 DOI: 10.3390/life13081729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Findings from brain imaging studies investigating the neural underpinnings of antisocial behavior have implicated the prefrontal cortex in the regulation of aggressive reactions. However, relatively few studies have examined the role of the prefrontal cortex on aggression in an experimental way. This study examines whether upregulating the prefrontal cortex using repeated transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) reduces aggressive behavior. In a double-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial, 88 healthy adults (42 males, 46 females) were assigned to one session of anodal tDCS over the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (n = 47) or sham stimulation (n = 41) per day for three consecutive days and assessed using a behavioral measure of aggression. Levels of aggressive responses post-intervention did not significantly differ between the active and sham stimulation groups. However, a significant interaction effect between the stimulation group and gender was observed, whereby males, but not females, exhibited reduced aggression after prefrontal stimulation. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the effect of multi-session prefrontal tDCS on aggressive behavior in healthy adults. Results highlight that there are differences in responsivity to tDCS in modifying aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Choy
- Department of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639818, Singapore;
| | - Gary Tan
- Department of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639818, Singapore;
| | - Yen Cong Wong
- Centre for Research on Successful Ageing, School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, 10 Canning Rise, Level 5, Singapore 179873, Singapore;
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Mathur A, Bashford-Largo J, Elowsky J, Zhang R, Dobbertin M, Tyler PM, Bajaj S, Blair KS, Blair RJR. Association Between Aggression and Differential Functional Activity of Neural Regions Implicated in Retaliation. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 62:805-815. [PMID: 36889505 PMCID: PMC10330338 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of the current study was to determine the extent to which atypical neural responsiveness during retaliation is associated with observed aggression in youth in residential care. METHOD This functional magnetic resonance imaging study involved 83 adolescents (56 male and 27 female; mean age, 16.18 years) in residential care performing a retaliation task. Of the 83 adolescents, 42 displayed aggressive behavior within the first 3 months of residential care, whereas 41 did not. During the retaliation task, participants were offered either fair or unfair divisions of $20 pots (allocation phase) and could either accept the offer or reject it, and, by spending $1, $2, or $3, punish the partner (retaliation phase). RESULTS The study's main findings were that aggressive adolescent showed the following: reduced down-regulation of activity within regions involved in representing the expected value of choice options (left ventromedial prefrontal cortex and left posterior cingulate cortex) as a function of offer unfairness and retaliation level; and reduced recruitment of regions implicated in response control (right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral anterior insular cortex) and associated fronto-parietal regions as a function of retaliation level. The aggressive adolescents were also significantly more likely to have been aggressive prior to residential care and showed a strong trend for increased retaliation on the task. CONCLUSION We suggest that individuals with a greater propensity for aggression show reduced representation of the negative consequences of retaliation and associated reduced recruitment of regions potentially involved in over-ruling these negative consequences to engage in retaliation. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure sex balance in the selection of non-human subjects. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avantika Mathur
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Johannah Bashford-Largo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Jaimie Elowsky
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Ru Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | | | - Sahil Bajaj
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Karina S Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - R James R Blair
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center Research Center, Genthofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.
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Grecucci A, Sorella S, Consolini J. Decoding individual differences in expressing and suppressing anger from structural brain networks: A supervised machine learning approach. Behav Brain Res 2023; 439:114245. [PMID: 36470420 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Anger can be broken down into different elements: a transitory state (state anger), a stable personality feature (trait anger), a tendency to express it (anger-out), or to suppress it (anger-in), and the ability to regulate it (anger control). These elements are characterized by individual differences that vary across a continuum. Among them, the abilities to express and suppress anger are of particular relevance as they determine outcomes and enable successful anger management in daily situations. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that anger suppression and expression can be decoded by patterns of grey matter of specific well-known brain networks. To this aim, a supervised machine learning technique, known as Kernel Ridge Regression, was used to predict anger expression and suppression scores of 212 healthy subjects from the grey matter concentration. Results show that individual differences in anger suppression were predicted by two grey matter patterns associated with the Default-Mode Network and the Salience Network. Additionally, individual differences in anger expression were predicted by a circuit mainly involving subcortical and fronto-temporal regions when considering whole brain grey matter features. These results expand previous findings regarding the neural bases of anger by showing that individual differences in specific anger-related components can be predicted by the grey matter features of specific networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Grecucci
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Cli.A.N. Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - DiPSCo, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy; Center for Medical Sciences, CISMed, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
| | - Sara Sorella
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Cli.A.N. Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - DiPSCo, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - Jennifer Consolini
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Cli.A.N. Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - DiPSCo, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
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Tonnaer F, van Zutphen L, Raine A, Cima M. Amygdala connectivity and aggression. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:87-106. [PMID: 37633721 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00002-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Neurobiological models propose that reactive aggression is predicated on impairments in amygdala-prefrontal connectivity that subserves moral decision-making and emotion regulation. The amygdala is a key component within this neural network that modulates reactive aggression. We provide a review of amygdala dysfunctional brain networks leading to reactive aggressive behavior. We elaborate on key concepts, focusing on moral decision-making and emotion regulation in a developmental context, and brain network connectivity factors relating to amygdala (dys)function-factors which we suggest predispose to reactive aggression. We additionally discuss insights into the latest treatment interventions, providing the utilization of the scientific findings for practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca Tonnaer
- Department of Research, Ventio Crime Prevention Science Institute, Rijckholt, The Netherlands
| | - Linda van Zutphen
- Department of Conditions for LifeLong Learning, Educational Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Adrian Raine
- Department of Criminology, Richard Perry University, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Maaike Cima
- Department of Research, Ventio Crime Prevention Science Institute, Rijckholt, The Netherlands; Department of Developmental Psychopathology, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Research, VIGO Groep, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Zhu W, Chen J, Tian X, Wu X, Matkurban K, Qiu J, Xia LX. The brain correlates of hostile attribution bias and their relation to the displaced aggression. J Affect Disord 2022; 317:204-211. [PMID: 36029872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hostile attribution bias (HAB) has been considered as a risk factor of various types of psychosocial adjustment problem, and contributes to displaced aggression (DA). The neural basis of HAB and the underlying mechanisms of how HAB predicts DA remain unclear. METHODS The current study used degree centrality (DC) and resting-sate functional connectivity (RSFC) to investigate the functional connection pattern related to HAB in 503 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the "Decoding" was used to investigate which psychological components the maps of the RSFC-behavior may be related to. Finally, to investigate whether and how the RSFC pattern, HAB predicts DA, we performed mediation analyses. RESULTS We found that HAB was negatively associated with DC in bilateral temporal poles (TP) and positively correlated with DC in the putamen and thalamus; Moreover, HAB was negatively associated with the strength of functional connectivity between TP and brain regions in the theory of mind network (ToM), and positively related to the strength of functional connectivity between the thalamus and regions in the ToM network. The "Decoding" showed the maps of the RSFC-behavior may involve the theory mind, autobiographic, language, comprehension and working memory. Mediation analysis further showed that HAB mediated the relationship between some neural correlates of the HAB and DA. LIMITATIONS The current results need to be further tested by experimental methods or longitudinal design in further studies. CONCLUSIONS These findings shed light on the neural underpinnings of HAB and provide a possible mediation model regarding the relationships among RSFC pattern, HAB, and displaced aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Zhu
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Jianxue Chen
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Xue Tian
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Xinyan Wu
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Kalbinur Matkurban
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Ling-Xiang Xia
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China.
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11
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In vivo defensive behaviors, fear, and attention bias to physical and negative evaluation threats. Behav Res Ther 2022; 154:104108. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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12
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Romero-Martínez Á, Sarrate-Costa C, Moya-Albiol L. Reactive vs proactive aggression: A differential psychobiological profile? Conclusions derived from a systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104626. [PMID: 35331815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Scholars have established subcategories of aggressive behavior in order to better understand this construct. Specifically, a classification based on motivational underpinnings makes it possible to differentiate between reactive and proactive aggression. Whereas reactive aggression is characterized by emotional lability, which means it is prone to impulsive reactions after provocation, proactive aggression is driven by low emotionality and high levels of instrumentality to obtain benefits. Some authors have conceived these two types as having a dichotomous nature, but others argue against this conceptualization, considering a complementary model more suitable. Hence, neuroscientific research might help to clarify discussions about their nature because biological markers do not present the same biases as psychological instruments. AIM The main objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review of studies that assess underlying biological markers (e.g., genes, brain, psychophysiological, and hormonal) of reactive and proactive aggression. METHODS To carry out this review, we followed PRISMA quality criteria for reviews, using five digital databases complemented by hand-searching. RESULTS The reading of 3993 abstracts led to the final inclusion of 157 papers that met all the inclusion criteria. The studies included allow us to conclude that heritability accounted for approximately 45% of the explained variance in both types of aggression, with 60% shared by both, especially, for overt and physical expression forms, and 10% specific to each type. Regarding allelic risk factors, whereas low functioning variants affecting serotonin transport and monoaminoxidase increased the risk of reactive aggression, high functioning variants were associated with proactive aggression. Furthermore, brain analysis revealed an overlap between the two types of aggression and alterations in the volume of the amygdala and temporal cortex. Moreover, high activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) facilitated proneness to both types of aggression equally. Whereas stimulation of the right ventrolateral (VLPFC) and dorsolateral (DLPFC) reduced proneness to aggression, inhibition of the left DLPFC increased it. Finally, psychophysiological and hormonal correlates in general did not clearly differentiate between the two types because they were equally related to each type (e.g., low basal cortisol and vagal variability in response to acute stress) CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces the complementary model of both types of aggression instead of a dichotomous model. Additionally, this review also offers background about several treatments (i.e., pharmacological, non-invasive brain techniques…) to reduce aggression proneness.
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A Combined Administration of Testosterone and Arginine Vasopressin Affects Aggressive Behavior in Males. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11121623. [PMID: 34942928 PMCID: PMC8699569 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is modulated by many factors, including personality and cognition, as well as endocrine and neural changes. To study the potential effects on the reaction to provocation, which was realized by an ostensible opponent subtracting money from the participant, we administered testosterone (T) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) or a respective placebo (PL). Forty males underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging session while performing a provocation paradigm. We investigated differential hormone effects and the potential influence of Machiavellian traits on punishment choices (monetary subtractions by the participant) in the paradigm. Participants in the T/AVP group subtracted more money when they were not provoked but showed increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule during feedback compared to PL. Higher Machiavellian traits significantly increased punishing behavior independent of provocation only in this group. The pilot study shows that T/AVP affects neural and behavioral responses during a provocation paradigm while personality characteristics, such as Machiavellian trait patterns, specifically interact with hormonal influences (T/AVP) and their effects on behavior.
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Boccadoro S, Wagels L, Puiu AA, Votinov M, Weidler C, Veselinovic T, Demko Z, Raine A, Neuner I. A meta-analysis on shared and distinct neural correlates of the decision-making underlying altruistic and retaliatory punishment. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:5547-5562. [PMID: 34415078 PMCID: PMC8559514 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals who violate social norms will most likely face social punishment sanctions. Those sanctions are based on different motivation aspects, depending on the context. Altruistic punishment occurs if punishment aims to re‐establish the social norms even at cost for the punisher. Retaliatory punishment is driven by anger or spite and aims to harm the other. While neuroimaging research highlighted the neural networks supporting decision‐making in both types of punishment in isolation, it remains unclear whether they rely on the same or distinct neural systems. We ran an activation likelihood estimation meta‐analysis on functional magnetic resonance imaging data on 24 altruistic and 19 retaliatory punishment studies to investigate the neural correlates of decision‐making underlying social punishment and whether altruistic and retaliatory punishments share similar brain networks. Social punishment reliably activated the bilateral insula, inferior frontal gyrus, midcingulate cortex (MCC), and superior and medial frontal gyri. This network largely overlapped with activation clusters found for altruistic punishment. However, retaliatory punishment revealed only one cluster in a posterior part of the MCC, which was not recruited in altruistic punishment. Our results support previous models on social punishment and highlight differential involvement of the MCC in altruistic and retaliatory punishments, reflecting the underlying different motivations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Boccadoro
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Andrei A Puiu
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mikhail Votinov
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Carmen Weidler
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tanja Veselinovic
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Zachary Demko
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Adrian Raine
- Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Irene Neuner
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN - Translational Medicine, Aachen, Germany
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15
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Brain reactivity during aggressive response in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder treated with a selective progesterone receptor modulator. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1460-1467. [PMID: 33927343 PMCID: PMC8209206 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01010-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by late luteal phase affective, cognitive, and physical impairment. The disorder causes significant suffering in about 5% of women in their reproductive age. Altered sensitivity of cognitive-affective brain circuits to progesterone and its downstream metabolite allopregnanolone is suggested to underlie PMDD symptomatology. Core mood symptoms include irritability and anger, with aggression being the behavioral outcome of these symptoms. The present study sought to investigate the neural correlates of reactive aggression during the premenstrual phase in women with PMDD, randomized to a selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM) or placebo. Self-reports on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems were used to assess PMDD symptoms and gonadal hormone levels were measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30 women with PMDD, while performing the point subtraction aggression paradigm. Overall, a high SPRM treatment response rate was attained (93%), in comparison with placebo (53.3%). Women with PMDD randomized to SPRM treatment had enhanced brain reactivity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex during the aggressive response condition. The fronto-cingulate reactivity during aggressive responses depended on treatment, with a negative relationship between brain reactivity and task-related aggressiveness found in the placebo but not the SPRM group. The findings contribute to define the role of progesterone in PMDD symptomatology, suggesting a beneficial effect of progesterone receptor antagonism, and consequent anovulation, on top-down emotion regulation, i.e., greater fronto-cingulate activity in response to provocation stimuli.
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Chen B, Wu X, Geniole SN, Ge Q, Chen Q, Zhao Y. Neural activity during provocation and aggressive responses in people from different social classes. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01925-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Sergiou CS, Santarnecchi E, Romanella SM, Wieser MJ, Franken IHA, Rassin EGC, van Dongen JDM. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Reduces Reactive Aggression and Modulates Electrophysiological Responses in a Forensic Population. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:95-107. [PMID: 34087482 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that impairments in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex play a crucial role in violent behavior in forensic patients who also abuse cocaine and alcohol. Moreover, interventions that aimed to reduce violence risk in those patients are found not to be optimal. A promising intervention might be to modulate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex by high-definition (HD) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The current study aimed to examine HD-tDCS as an intervention to increase empathic abilities and reduce violent behavior in forensic substance dependent offenders. In addition, using electroencephalography, we examined the effects on the P3 and the late positive potential of the event-related potentials in reaction to situations that depict victims of aggression. METHODS Fifty male forensic patients with a substance dependence were tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study. The patients received HD-tDCS 2 times a day for 20 minutes for 5 consecutive days. Before and after the intervention, the patients completed self-reports and performed the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, and electroencephalography was recorded while patients performed an empathy task. RESULTS Results showed a decrease in aggressive responses on the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm and in self-reported reactive aggression in the active tDCS group. Additionally, we found a general increase in late positive potential amplitude after active tDCS. No effects on trait empathy and the P3 were found. CONCLUSIONS Current findings are the first to find positive effects of HD-tDCS in reducing aggression and modulating electrophysiological responses in forensic patients, showing the potential of using tDCS as an intervention to reduce aggression in forensic mental health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen S Sergiou
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sara M Romanella
- Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthias J Wieser
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric G C Rassin
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Josanne D M van Dongen
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Sorella S, Grecucci A, Piretti L, Job R. Do anger perception and the experience of anger share common neural mechanisms? Coordinate-based meta-analytic evidence of similar and different mechanisms from functional neuroimaging studies. Neuroimage 2021; 230:117777. [PMID: 33503484 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural bases of anger are still a matter of debate. In particular we do not know whether anger perception and anger experience rely on similar or different neural mechanisms. To study this topic, we performed activation-likelihood-estimation meta-analyses of human neuroimaging studies on 61 previous studies on anger perception and experience. Anger perception analysis resulted in significant activation in the amygdala, the right superior temporal gyrus, the right fusiform gyrus and the right IFG, thus revealing the role of perceptual temporal areas for perceiving angry stimuli. Anger experience analysis resulted in the bilateral activations of the insula and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, thus revealing a role for these areas in the subjective experience of anger and, possibly, in a subsequent evaluation of the situation. Conjunction analyses revealed a common area localized in the right inferior frontal gyrus, probably involved in the conceptualization of anger for both perception and experience. Altogether these results provide new insights on the functional architecture underlying the neural processing of anger that involves separate and joint mechanisms. According to our tentative model, angry stimuli are processed by temporal areas, such as the superior temporal gyrus, the fusiform gyrus and the amygdala; on the other hand, the subjective experience of anger mainly relies on the anterior insula; finally, this pattern of activations converges in the right IFG. This region seems to play a key role in the elaboration of a general meaning of this emotion, when anger is perceived or experienced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sorella
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Grecucci
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luca Piretti
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Remo Job
- Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (DiPSCo), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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Siep N, Tonnaer F, van de Ven V, Arntz A, Raine A, Cima M. Anger provocation increases limbic and decreases medial prefrontal cortex connectivity with the left amygdala in reactive aggressive violent offenders. Brain Imaging Behav 2020; 13:1311-1323. [PMID: 30145716 PMCID: PMC6732149 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9945-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neurobiological models propose reactive aggression as a failure in emotion regulation, caused by an imbalance between prefrontal cortical control and excessive bottom-up signals of negative affect by limbic regions, including the amygdala. Therefore, we hypothesize a negative correlation between PFC and amygdala activity (pre/post resting-state scans) in violent offenders. In this study resting-state fMRI was administered before and after an emotion (anger and happiness) provocation or engagement task within 18 male violent offenders scoring high on reactive aggression, and 18 male non-offender controls. Research in emotional pre/post resting-state showed altered connectivity by task performance. Therefore, bilateral amygdala region of interest (ROI) whole brain functional connectivity analysis tested dynamic change differences between pre and post resting-state connectivity between groups. Self-reported anger showed a positive significant relationship with medial prefrontal cortex activity in the pre-task scan and significantly increased during the emotion task in both the violent and control group. Imaging results showed a significant decrease in amygdala – medial prefrontal functional connectivity in the violent offenders and an increase in the non-offender controls after the emotion task. The opposite pattern was found for amygdala connectivity with the (para) limbic regions: violent offenders showed increased connectivity and non-offender controls showed decreased connectivity. The present results indicate that reactive aggression might stem from a focus on emotion processing, as indicated by an increase in limbic functional connectivity. The combination of a focus on emotion, along with a lack of medial prefrontal cortex regulation, has the potential to grow out of control e.g. in reactive aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette Siep
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Franca Tonnaer
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Research, Forensic Psychiatric Centre de Rooyse Wissel, Venray, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent van de Ven
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Arnoud Arntz
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adrian Raine
- Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA USA
| | - Maaike Cima
- Department of Developmental Psychopathology, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Conrisq Group, Juvenile Youth Institutions (YouthCarePLUS), BJ Brabant, OGH Zetten & Pactum, Zetten, The Netherlands
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20
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Klasen M, Mathiak KA, Zvyagintsev M, Sarkheil P, Weber R, Mathiak K. Selective reward responses to violent success events during video games. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:57-69. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01986-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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21
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Zhu W, Zhou X, Xia LX. Brain structures and functional connectivity associated with individual differences in trait proactive aggression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7731. [PMID: 31118455 PMCID: PMC6531458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44115-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although considerable efforts have been made to understand the neural underpinnings of (state) reactive aggression, which is triggered by provocation or perceived threat, little is known about the neural correlates of proactive aggression, which is driven by instrumental motivations to obtain personal gains through aggressive means and which varies dramatically across individuals in terms of tendency of appealing to such means. Here, by combining structural (grey matter density, GMD) and functional (resting-state functional connection, RSFC) fMRI, we investigated brain structures and functional networks related to trait proactive aggression. We found that individual differences in trait proactive aggression were positively associated with GMD in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and negatively correlated with GMD in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC); they were also negatively correlated with the strength of functional connectivity between left PCC and other brain regions, including right DLPFC, right IPL, right MPFC/ACC, and bilateral precuneus. These findings shed light on the differential brain bases of proactive and reactive aggressions and suggested the neural underpinnings of proactive aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Zhu
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
| | - Ling-Xiang Xia
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, China.
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22
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Del Pozzo J, Athineos C, Zar T, Cruz LN, King CM. Frustrative Non-reward and Lab-Based Paradigms for Advancing the Study of Aggression in Persons with Psychosis. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-019-00173-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Im S, Jin G, Jeong J, Yeom J, Jekal J, Lee SI, Cho JA, Lee S, Lee Y, Kim DH, Bae M, Heo J, Moon C, Lee CH. Gender Differences in Aggression-related Responses on EEG and ECG. Exp Neurobiol 2019; 27:526-538. [PMID: 30636903 PMCID: PMC6318556 DOI: 10.5607/en.2018.27.6.526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender differences in aggression viewed from an evolutionary and sociocultural perspective have traditionally explained why men engage in more direct and physical aggression, and women engage in more indirect and relational aggression. However, psychological and behavioral studies offer inconsistent support for this theory due to personal or social factors, and little is known about the gender-based neurobiological mechanisms of aggression. This study investigates gender differences in aggression through an analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) based neurobiological responses to commonly encountered stimuli, as well as psychological approaches in healthy Korean youth. Our results from self-reports indicate that overall aggression indices, including physical and reactive/overt aggression, were stronger in men. This agrees with the results of previous studies. Furthermore, our study reveals prominent gender-related patterns in γ signals from the right ventrolateral frontal cortex and changes in heart rate through stimulation by aggressive videos. In particular, gender differences in EEG and ECG responses were observed in response to different scenes, as simple aversion and situation-dependent aggression, respectively. In addition, we discovered decisive gender-distinct EEG signals during stimulation of the situation-dependent aggression regions within the right ventromedial prefrontal and ventrolateral frontal regions. Our findings provide evidence of a psychological propensity for aggression and neurobiological mechanisms of oscillation underlying gender differences in aggression. Further studies of oscillatory responses to aggression and provocation will expand the objective understanding of the different emotional worlds between men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- SeungYeong Im
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Gwonhyu Jin
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Jinju Jeong
- Undergraduate School Administration Team, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea.,Well Aging Research Center, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Jiwoo Yeom
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Janghwan Jekal
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Sang-Im Lee
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Jung Ah Cho
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Sukkyoo Lee
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Youngmi Lee
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Dae-Hwan Kim
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Mijeong Bae
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Jinhwa Heo
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Cheil Moon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Chang-Hun Lee
- School of Undergraduate Studies, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
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Neural networks of aggression: ALE meta-analyses on trait and elicited aggression. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 224:133-148. [PMID: 30291479 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1765-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence that emotion dysregulation and self-control impairments lead to escalated aggression in populations with psychiatric disorders. However, convergent quantitative evidence on the neural network explaining how aggression arises is still lacking. To address this gap, peak activations extracted from extant functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were synthesized through coordinate-based meta-analyses. A systematic search in the PubMed database was conducted and 26 fMRI studies met the inclusion criteria. Three separate activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses were performed on (1) individual differences in trait aggression (TA) studies, (2) individual differences in TA studies examining executive functioning, and (3) elicited aggression (EA) studies across fMRI behavioral paradigms. Ensuing clusters from ALE meta-analyses were further treated as seeds for follow-up investigations on consensus connectivity networks (CCN) delineated from meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) to further characterize their physiological functions. Finally, we obtained a data-driven functional characterization of the ensuing clusters and their networks. This approach offers a boarder view of the ensuing clusters using a boarder network perspective. In TA, aberrant brain activations were found only in the right precuneus. Follow-up analyses revealed that the precuneus seed was within the frontal-parietal network (FPN) associated with action inhibition, visuospatial processing and higher-level cognition. With further restricting to only experiments examining executive functioning, convergent evidence was found in the right rolandic operculum (RO), midcingulate cortex (MCC), precentral gyrus (PrG) and precuneus. Follow-up analyses suggested that RO, MCC and PrG may belong to a common cognitive control network, while the MCC seems to be the hub of this network. In EA, we only revealed a convergent region in the left postcentral gyrus. Follow-up CCN analyses and functional characterizations suggested that this region may also belong to the same cognitive control network found in the TA sub-analysis. Our results suggested that escalated aggression arises from abnormal precuneus activities within the FPN, disrupting the recruitment of other large-scale networks such as adaptive cognitive control network. Consequently, failure to recruit such a network results in an inability to generate adaptive responses, increasing the likelihood of acting aggressively.
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Suchting R, Gowin JL, Green CE, Walss-Bass C, Lane SD. Genetic and Psychosocial Predictors of Aggression: Variable Selection and Model Building With Component-Wise Gradient Boosting. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:89. [PMID: 29867390 PMCID: PMC5949329 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Given datasets with a large or diverse set of predictors of aggression, machine learning (ML) provides efficient tools for identifying the most salient variables and building a parsimonious statistical model. ML techniques permit efficient exploration of data, have not been widely used in aggression research, and may have utility for those seeking prediction of aggressive behavior. Objectives: The present study examined predictors of aggression and constructed an optimized model using ML techniques. Predictors were derived from a dataset that included demographic, psychometric and genetic predictors, specifically FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) polymorphisms, which have been shown to alter response to threatening stimuli, but have not been tested as predictors of aggressive behavior in adults. Methods: The data analysis approach utilized component-wise gradient boosting and model reduction via backward elimination to: (a) select variables from an initial set of 20 to build a model of trait aggression; and then (b) reduce that model to maximize parsimony and generalizability. Results: From a dataset of N = 47 participants, component-wise gradient boosting selected 8 of 20 possible predictors to model Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) total score, with R2 = 0.66. This model was simplified using backward elimination, retaining six predictors: smoking status, psychopathy (interpersonal manipulation and callous affect), childhood trauma (physical abuse and neglect), and the FKBP5_13 gene (rs1360780). The six-factor model approximated the initial eight-factor model at 99.4% of R2. Conclusions: Using an inductive data science approach, the gradient boosting model identified predictors consistent with previous experimental work in aggression; specifically psychopathy and trauma exposure. Additionally, allelic variants in FKBP5 were identified for the first time, but the relatively small sample size limits generality of results and calls for replication. This approach provides utility for the prediction of aggression behavior, particularly in the context of large multivariate datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Suchting
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Joshua L Gowin
- Section on Human Psychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Charles E Green
- Center for Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Scott D Lane
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX, United States.,Section on Human Psychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD, United States
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26
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Denson TF, O'Dean SM, Blake KR, Beames JR. Aggression in Women: Behavior, Brain and Hormones. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:81. [PMID: 29770113 PMCID: PMC5942158 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the literature on aggression in women with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation and hormonal and brain mechanisms. Women tend to engage in more indirect forms of aggression (e.g., spreading rumors) than other types of aggression. In laboratory studies, women are less aggressive than men, but provocation attenuates this difference. In the real world, women are just as likely to aggress against their romantic partner as men are, but men cause more serious physical and psychological harm. A very small minority of women are also sexually violent. Women are susceptible to alcohol-related aggression, but this type of aggression may be limited to women high in trait aggression. Fear of being harmed is a robust inhibitor of direct aggression in women. There are too few studies and most are underpowered to detect unique neural mechanisms associated with aggression in women. Testosterone shows the same small, positive relationship with aggression in women as in men. The role of cortisol is unclear, although some evidence suggests that women who are high in testosterone and low in cortisol show heightened aggression. Under some circumstances, oxytocin may increase aggression by enhancing reactivity to provocation and simultaneously lowering perceptions of danger that normally inhibit many women from retaliating. There is some evidence that high levels of estradiol and progesterone are associated with low levels of aggression. We highlight that more gender-specific theory-driven hypothesis testing is needed with larger samples of women and aggression paradigms relevant to women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Denson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Siobhan M O'Dean
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Khandis R Blake
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joanne R Beames
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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da Cunha-Bang S, Fisher PM, Hjordt LV, Perfalk E, Beliveau V, Holst K, Knudsen GM. Men with high serotonin 1B receptor binding respond to provocations with heightened amygdala reactivity. Neuroimage 2018; 166:79-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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