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Gong X, Hu B, Liao S, Qi B, He Q, Xia LX. Neural basis of reward expectancy inducing proactive aggression. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:694-706. [PMID: 38819625 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01192-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Proactive aggression refers to deliberate and unprovoked behavior, typically motivated by personal gain or expected reward. Reward expectancy is generally recognized as a critical factor that may influence proactive aggression, but its neural mechanisms remain unknown. We conducted a task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment to investigate the relationship between reward expectancy and proactive aggression. 37 participants (20 females, mean age = 20.8 ± 1.42, age range = 18-23 years) completed a reward-harm task. In the experiment, reward valence expectancy and reward possibility expectancy were manipulated respectively by varying amounts (low: 0.5-1.5 yuan; high: 10.5-11.5 yuan) and possibilities (low: 10%-30%; high: 70%-90%) of money that participants could obtain by choosing to aggress. Participants received fMRI scans throughout the experiment. Brain activation regions associated with reward expectancy mainly involve the middle frontal gyrus, lingual gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, anterior cuneus, caudate nucleus, inferior frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, anterior central gyrus, and posterior central gyrus. Associations between brain activation and reward expectancy in the left insula, left middle frontal gyrus, left thalamus, and right middle frontal gyrus were found to be related to proactive aggression. Furthermore, the brain activation regions primarily involved in proactive aggression induced by reward expectancy were the insula, inferior frontal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, pallidum, and caudate nucleus. Under conditions of high reward expectancy, participants engage in more proactive aggressive behavior. Reward expectancy involves the activation of reward- and social-cognition-related brain regions, and these associations are instrumental in proactive aggressive decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Gong
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bohua Hu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Senrong Liao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Bingxin Qi
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qinghua He
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Ling-Xiang Xia
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Hauschild S, Kasper L, Volkert J, Sobanski E, Taubner S. Mentalization-based treatment for adolescents with conduct disorder (MBT-CD): a feasibility study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:2611-2622. [PMID: 36434148 PMCID: PMC9702655 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02113-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Conduct disorder (CD) is a common psychiatric disorder in youth characterized by persisting norm-violating or aggressive behavior. Considering high individual and societal burden, feasible and effective psychotherapeutic treatment is desirable. Yet, treatments and research in this patient group are scarce. This study investigates the feasibility of mentalization-based treatment for adolescents with CD (MBT-CD) in terms of acceptability of MBT-CD and scientific assessments by participants as well as necessary organizational resources to conduct a consecutive randomized controlled trial (RCT). Recruitment, adherence and treatment session numbers were descriptively analyzed. Treatment evaluation interviews were qualitatively analyzed. A subset of sessions of therapists without prior MBT experience was rated for MBT adherence. Quantitative data were used to plan a consecutive RCT. Pre to post treatment changes in diagnosis and self-reported aggression, mentalizing and personality functioning were preliminarily analyzed. N = 45 adolescents with CD were recruited. 43% dropped out. Acceptance of scientific assessments was somewhat lower than therapy adherence (questionnaires filled out by ~ 80% of adolescents in treatment), and low at follow-up (25% of treatment completers). Mean session number was 30.3. Most treatment completers were satisfied with MBT-CD. Referrals mainly came from child and youth services and psychiatry. Nine of 16 sessions rated for MBT adherence were adherent. A priori sample size estimation for a prospective RCT with a drop-out rate of 43% yielded a sample of N = 158 to detect an effect f = .15 with 80% power in a repeated measures ANOVA. Pre-post analyses revealed diagnostic improvement in 68%. Of self-reported data, empathy pathology improved. Findings provide a sound basis for a consecutive feasibility and pilot RCT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, registration number NCT02988453, November 30, 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02988453.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Hauschild
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Psychological Institute, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Lea Kasper
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Psychological Institute, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jana Volkert
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Esther Sobanski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Child and Youth Psychiatry, Lucerne Psychiatry, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Svenja Taubner
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Taubner S, Bertsch K, Protić S, Fehr T. Editorial: Unlearning of Aggressive Behavior and Mechanisms of Change. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:919122. [PMID: 35757217 PMCID: PMC9214206 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.919122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Taubner
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital of the University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Sonja Protić
- Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Thorsten Fehr
- Department of Neuropsychology, Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,Center for Advanced Imaging, Universities of Bremen and Magdeburg, Bremen, Germany
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