Psychopathy, frustration, and reactive aggression: The role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Omega-3 supplementation reduces aggressive behavior: A meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials

There is increasing interest in the use of omega-3 supplements to reduce aggressive behavior. This meta-analysis summarizes findings from 28 RCTs (randomized controlled trials) on omega-3 supplementation to reduce aggression, yielding 35 independent samples with a total of 3,918 participants. Three analyses were conducted where the unit of analysis was independent samples, independent studies, and independent laboratories. Significant effect sizes were observed for all three analyses (g = .16, .20, .28 respectively), averaging .22, in the direction of omega-3 supplementation reducing aggression. There was no evidence of publication bias, and sensitivity analyses confirmed findings. Moderator analyses were largely non-significant, indicating that beneficial effects are obtained across age, gender, recruitment sample, diagnoses, treatment duration, and dosage. Omega-3 also reduced both reactive and proactive forms of aggression, particularly with respect to self-reports (g = .27 and .20 respectively). It is concluded that there is now sufficient evidence to begin to implement omega-3 supplementation to reduce aggression in children and adults - irrespective of whether the setting is the community, the clinic, or the criminal justice system.

Psychopathy and Impairments in Emotion Regulation: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

Considering the sparse but rapidly growing literature concerning the relationship between psychopathy and emotion regulation, taking stock of accumulating knowledge in a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing results is needed. We performed a systematic search (up to May 30, 2024) following PRISMA guidelines of five scientific databases (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science). Also, gray literature was searched. After removing the duplicates, a total of 8.786 records were screened, and 73 articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria used for systematic review. The meta-analytic procedure was performed on 55 identified studies consistent with the criteria adopted, which overall comprised 29.856 individuals. The current systematic and meta-analysis review has clarified the association between impairments of emotional regulation abilities and facets of psychopathy. More specifically, analyses indicated that emotional dysregulation is associated with overall levels of psychopathic traits, as well as with both the lifestyle and affective components of psychopathy, which suggests the utility of assessing these features when designing interventions focused on modulating negative emotional states and enhancing regulation of impulsive behaviors.

Mechanisms of Neuronal Reactivation in Memory Consolidation: A Perspective from Pathological Conditions

Memory consolidation refers to a process by which labile newly formed memory traces are progressively strengthened into long term memories and become more resistant to interference. Recent work has revealed that spontaneous hippocampal activity during rest, commonly referred to as "offline" activity, plays a critical role in the process of memory consolidation. Hippocampal reactivation occurs during sharp-wave ripples (SWRs), which are events associated with highly synchronous neural firing in the hippocampus and modulation of neural activity in distributed brain regions. Memory consolidation occurs primarily through a coordinated communication between hippocampus and neocortex. Cortical slow oscillations drive the repeated reactivation of hippocampal memory representations together with SWRs and thalamo-cortical spindles, inducing long-lasting cellular and network modifications responsible for memory stabilization.In this review, we aim to comprehensively cover the field of "reactivation and memory consolidation" research by detailing the physiological mechanisms of neuronal reactivation and firing patterns during SWRs and providing a discussion of more recent key findings. Several mechanistic explanations of neuropsychiatric diseases propose that impaired neural replay may underlie some of the symptoms of the disorders. Abnormalities in neuronal reactivation are a common phenomenon and cause pathological impairment in several diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), epilepsy and schizophrenia. However, the specific pathological changes and mechanisms of reactivation in each disease are different. Recent work has also enlightened some of the underlying pathological mechanisms of neuronal reactivation in these diseases. In this review, we further describe how SWRs, ripples and slow oscillations are affected in Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. We then compare the differences of neuronal reactivation and discuss how different reactivation abnormalities cause pathological changes in these diseases. Aberrant neural reactivation provides insights into disease pathogenesis and may even serve as biomarkers for early disease progression and treatment response.

The Structure of Hypersexuality and Its Relation to Impulsivity

Among the multiple controversies surrounding hypersexuality is the important issue of whether it constitutes a univocal construct. Although an initial study supported its homogeneity, more resent research has identified two separate subcomponents-problematic sexuality and sexual drive. The present survey study addressed this issue in a sample that included both in-person tested college students (n = 69) and online respondents (n = 339). A factor analysis of scales attempting to capture the indicators of each subcomponent of hypersexuality yielded two correlated, but separate factors. Whereas Problematic Sexuality (PS) comprised scales measuring sexual compulsivity, using sex as a coping mechanism, and the negative consequences of sexual behavior, Sexual Drive (SD) was defined by frequent sexual activity, preoccupation with sexual fantasies, a predilection for impersonal sexual behavior, and facile sexual arousal. These two subcomponents of hypersexuality were found to covary with different types of impulsivity, further supporting their discrimination and providing external validation for their differentiation. Contrary to a priori hypotheses, however, PS correlated highly with Callous/Manipulative/Risk-Taking as well as with a predicted Affective Instability/Behavioral Disinhibition factor, suggesting that PS may constitute an equifinality of separate developmental trajectories for those high on both subtypes of hypersexuality.

Studying the social mind: An updated summary of findings from the Vietnam Head Injury Study

Lesion mapping studies allow us to evaluate the potential causal contribution of specific brain areas to human cognition and complement other cognitive neuroscience methods, as several authors have recently pointed out. Here, we present an updated summary of the findings from the Vietnam Head Injury Study (VHIS) focusing on the studies conducted over the last decade, that examined the social mind and its intricate neural and cognitive underpinnings. The VHIS is a prospective, long-term follow-up study of Vietnam veterans with penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI) and healthy controls (HC). The scope of the work is to present the studies from the latest phases (3 and 4) of the VHIS, 70 studies since 2011, when the Raymont et al. paper was published (Raymont et al., 2011). These studies have contributed to our understanding of human social cognition, including political and religious beliefs, theory of mind, but also executive functions, intelligence, and personality. This work finally discusses the usefulness of lesion mapping as an approach to understanding the functions of the human brain from basic science and clinical perspectives.

Criminal behaviors: A theory of mind problem?

Theory of mind (ToM) has been addressed in relation to functional alterations of certain brain regions and their connections. The objective is to evaluate ToM in imprisoned criminal offenders and to analyze their relationship with the functions linked to the prefrontal cortex according to their expression in neuropsychological tests. The sample was composed of 52 subjects. 27 committed instrumental homicides and 25 crimes of sale and/or possession of narcotics. A control group was taken, 19 healthy subjects at liberty. The Faux-Pas (FP) and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes tests were used. A neuropsychological battery of executive functions and functions related to the frontal lobes and Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was also applied. The criminal groups have comparable performances in all measures. The control group (in freedom) showed higher performance, with statistical significance, in the Faux-Pas test. Moderate negative correlations were found between the FP and the PCL-R. A distinction between affective and cognitive ToM could be affirmed, with people deprived of liberty presenting deficient functioning in the cognitive ToM test. This difference in performance could be linked to the disruptive event with the social norm and not so much with the violent homicide act itself.

Brain Anatomy in Boys with Conduct Disorder: Differences Among Aggression Subtypes

Aggression is a core feature of conduct disorder (CD), but the motivation, execution of aggression may vary. A deeper understanding of the neural substrates of aggressive behaviours is critical for effective clinical intervention. Seventy-six Boys with CD (50 with impulsive aggression (I-CD) and 26 with premeditated aggression (P-CD)) and 69 healthy controls (HCs) underwent a structural MRI scan and behavioural assessments. Whole-brain analyses revealed that, compared to HCs, the I-CD group showed significant cortical thinning in the right frontal cortex, while the P-CD group demonstrated significant folding deficits in the bilateral superior parietal cortex. Both types of aggression negatively correlated with the left amygdala volume, albeit in different ways. The present results demonstrated that the complex nature of aggression relies on differentiated anatomical substrates, highlighting the importance of exploring differential circuit-targeted interventions for CD patients.

A chemical signal in human female tears lowers aggression in males

Rodent tears contain social chemosignals with diverse effects, including blocking male aggression. Human tears also contain a chemosignal that lowers male testosterone, but its behavioral significance was unclear. Because reduced testosterone is associated with reduced aggression, we tested the hypothesis that human tears act like rodent tears to block male aggression. Using a standard behavioral paradigm, we found that sniffing emotional tears with no odor percept reduced human male aggression by 43.7%. To probe the peripheral brain substrates of this effect, we applied tears to 62 human olfactory receptors in vitro. We identified 4 receptors that responded in a dose-dependent manner to this stimulus. Finally, to probe the central brain substrates of this effect, we repeated the experiment concurrent with functional brain imaging. We found that sniffing tears increased functional connectivity between the neural substrates of olfaction and aggression, reducing overall levels of neural activity in the latter. Taken together, our results imply that like in rodents, a human tear-bound chemosignal lowers male aggression, a mechanism that likely relies on the structural and functional overlap in the brain substrates of olfaction and aggression. We suggest that tears are a mammalian-wide mechanism that provides a chemical blanket protecting against aggression.

Anxiety, aggression, reward sensitivity, and forebrain dopamine receptor expression in a laboratory rat model of early-life disadvantage

Despite early-life disadvantage (ELD) in humans being a highly heterogenous construct, it consistently predicts negative neurobehavioral outcomes. The numerous environmental contributors and neural mechanisms underlying ELD remain unclear, though. We used a laboratory rat model to evaluate the effects of limited resources and/or heavy metal exposure on mothers and their adult male and female offspring. Dams and litters were chronically exposed to restricted (1-cm deep) or ample (4-cm deep) home cage bedding postpartum, with or without lead acetate (0.1%) in their drinking water from insemination through 1-week postweaning. Restricted-bedding mothers showed more pup-directed behaviors and behavioral fragmentation, while lead-exposed mothers showed more nestbuilding. Restricted bedding-raised male offspring showed higher anxiety and aggression. Either restricted bedding or lead exposure impaired goal-directed performance in a reinforcer devaluation task in females, whereas restricted bedding alone disrupted it in males. Lead exposure, but not limited bedding, also reduced sucrose reward sensitivity in a progressive ratio task in females. D1 and D2 receptor mRNA in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were each affected by the early-life treatments and differently between the sexes. Most notably, adult males (but not females) exposed to both early-life treatments had greatly increased D1 receptor mRNA in the NAc core. These results illuminate neural mechanisms through which ELD threatens neurobehavioral development and highlight forebrain dopamine as a factor.

Neural correlates of aggression in personality disorders from the perspective of DSM-5 maladaptive traits: a systematic review

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published in 2013, includes an alternative model of personality disorders (AMPD) focusing on a maladaptive trait model utilized to diagnose several personality disorders. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are two conditions categorized by AMPD that exhibit high rates of violence and aggression. Several of the traits outlined in the AMPD, including hostility, impulsivity, risk-taking, and callousness, have been previously linked to aggression in BPD and ASPD. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has never been a synthesis of neuroimaging studies that have investigated links between these traits and aggression in BPD and ASPD. To overcome this gap, we conducted a systematic review under the PRISMA framework to locate neuroimaging articles published since the release of AMPD linking trait anger/hostility, impulsivity, risk-taking, and callousness to aggression in BPD and ASPD. Key findings included the following: i) anger/hostility, associated with alterations in the interplay between prefrontal and subcortical regions (primarily the amygdala), may be a common factor explaining aggressive reactions to response to interpersonal threat or provocation; ii) alterations of fronto-temporal-limbic regions and serotonergic and endocannabinoid signaling systems may link impulsivity to aggression in BPD and ASPD; iii) weaker cortico-striatal connectivity could relate to greater risk taking and greater proclivity for violence. Insufficient evidence from neuroimaging articles was discerned to describe a relationship between callousness and aggression. Overall, results of this review reveal a relative paucity of neuroimaging studies examining AMPD traits relevant to aggression in BPD and ASPD. In addition to encouraging further investigation of neuroimaging markers of AMPD traits linked to aggression, we recommend multi-methodological designs, including the incorporation of other biomarkers, such as hormones and indices of physiological arousal, to fully expand our understanding of aggression in BPD and ASPD.

Finding a Needed Diagnostic Home for Children with Impulsive Aggression

Aggressive behavior is one of the most common reasons for referrals of youth to mental health treatment. While there are multiple publications describing different types of aggression in children, it remains challenging for clinicians to diagnose and treat aggressive youth, especially those with impulsively aggressive behaviors. The reason for this dilemma is that currently several psychiatric diagnoses include only some of the common symptoms of aggression in their criteria. However, no single diagnosis or diagnostic specifier adequately captures youth with impulsive aggression (IA). Here we review select current diagnostic categories, including behavior and mood disorders, and suggest that they do not provide an adequate description of youth with IA. We also specifically focus on the construct of IA as a distinct entity from other diagnoses and propose a set of initial, provisional diagnostic criteria based on the available evidence that describes youth with IA to use for future evaluation.

Neural signals implicated in the processing of appetitive and aversive events in social and non-social contexts

In 2014, we participated in a special issue of Frontiers examining the neural processing of appetitive and aversive events. Specifically, we reviewed brain areas that contribute to the encoding of prediction errors and value versus salience, attention and motivation. Further, we described how we disambiguated these cognitive processes and their neural substrates by using paradigms that incorporate both appetitive and aversive stimuli. We described a circuit in which the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) signals expected value and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) encodes the salience and valence of both appetitive and aversive events. This information is integrated by the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dopaminergic (DA) signaling in order to generate prediction and prediction error signals, which guide decision-making and learning via the dorsal striatum (DS). Lastly, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is monitoring actions and outcomes, and signals the need to engage attentional control in order to optimize behavioral output. Here, we expand upon this framework, and review our recent work in which within-task manipulations of both appetitive and aversive stimuli allow us to uncover the neural processes that contribute to the detection of outcomes delivered to a conspecific and behaviors in social contexts. Specifically, we discuss the involvement of single-unit firing in the ACC and DA signals in the NAc during the processing of appetitive and aversive events in both social and non-social contexts.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA FOR BRAIN DYSFUNCTION IN PSYCHOPATHY

Understanding how psychopathy compares with brain disease can help clarify its underlying mechanisms. This literature review is a broad overview of the neurobiology of psychopathic traits in comparison to behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), a disorder uniquely associated with criminal behavior. In addition to violation of social norms, both psychopathy and bvFTD result in impaired socioemotional perception and empathy, impulsivity, and altered moral judgment. Despite wide areas of decreased function in psychopathy, structural changes are primarily evident in amygdala and, to a lesser extent, anterior insula, whereas in bvFTD neuropathology involves a wider paralimbic region. In psychopathy, relatively intact medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices facilitate theory of mind and psychopathic traits such as deceitfulness and manipulation, bold fearlessness, and risk-taking behavior. In conclusion, many frontotemporal areas are hypoactive in psychopathy and bvFTD, but differences in dysfunctional connectivity in psychopathy vs. direct involvement in bvFTD potentially explain similarities and differences between these two conditions.

Raging Hormones: Why Age-Based Etiological Conceptualizations of the Development of Antisocial Behavior Are Insufficient

Developmental science, particularly developmental neuroscience, has substantially influenced the modern legal system. However, this science has typically failed to consider the role of puberty and pubertal hormones on development when considering antisocial behavior. This review describes major theoretical positions on the developmental neuroscience of antisocial behavior and highlights where basic developmental neuroscience suggests that the role of puberty and pubertal hormones should be considered. The implications of the current state of the science with respect to developmental neuroscience is considered, particularly what is known in light of development beyond puberty. This review shows that development continues to an older age for many youth than the legal system typically acknowledges. The plasticity of the brain that this continued development implies has implications for the outcome of interventions in the legal system in ways that have not been explored. Future directions for both developmental scientists and legal professions are recommended.

Dogs Exhibiting High Levels of Aggressive Reactivity Show Impaired Self-Control Abilities

Inhibitory control describes a multitude of cognitive processes that prevents an impulsive response and enables a more appropriate behavior in a given situation. The ability to inhibit undesirable behaviors, such as aggression, is particularly important in dogs for safe and successful interspecific interaction and cooperation. The present study investigated the associations between two aspects of inhibitory control in dogs, self-control and cognitive inhibition, and the tendency to respond aggressively when provoked. Sixteen police and fourteen privately owned dogs of the same sex, breed group and similar age participated. Self-control, often described as impulsivity, was measured with an exchange paradigm themed the delay of gratification test, and cognitive inhibition with an object discrimination paradigm called the reversal learning test. Aggressive reactivity was assessed with a standardized aggression-eliciting behavior test. When comparing police and privately owned dogs, police dogs showed higher aggression levels and poorer self-control, while the two groups did not differ in cognitive inhibition. Regardless of the dog group, the main results indicated impairments in self-control in dogs with high levels of aggressive reactivity. Dogs showing biting behavior had worse self-control abilities compared to dogs with no signs of aggression. No association between cognitive inhibition and aggression was found. We conclude that self-control, measured as the ability to tolerate delayed rewards, appears to be an important aspect of inhibitory control involved in the tendency to respond aggressively, particularly in police dogs.

Improving Our Understanding of Impaired Social Problem-Solving in Children and Adolescents with Conduct Problems: Implications for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) children and adolescents with conduct problems learn social problem-solving skills that enable them to behave in more independent and situation appropriate ways. Empirical studies on psychological functions show that the effectiveness of CBT may be further improved by putting more emphasis on (1) recognition of the type of social situations that are problematic, (2) recognition of facial expressions in view of initiating social problem-solving, (3) effortful emotion regulation and emotion awareness, (4) behavioral inhibition and working memory, (5) interpretation of the social problem, (6) affective empathy, (7) generation of appropriate solutions, (8) outcome expectations and moral beliefs, and (9) decision-making. To improve effectiveness, CBT could be tailored to the individual child's or adolescent's impairments of these psychological functions which may depend on the type of conduct problems and their associated problems.

Examining the potential link between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents: A multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND

There is a great deal of research indicating that callous-unemotional traits in childhood are among the strongest predictors of adult psychopathy and psychopathic traits. As a result, there has been a recent surge of studies examining potential risk factors that may be related to the development of callous-unemotional traits.

OBJECTIVE

The current study sought to extend prior research examining potential risk factors for the development of callous-unemotional traits by estimating the extent to which child maltreatment related to callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS

To do so, the study uses a longitudinal sample of 4579 male and female youths drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW I) across four waves of data. Data collection ran from November 1999 to December 2006.

METHODS

A series of multilevel random-effects models were estimated in order to examine the association between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits.

RESULTS

The results of the analyses revealed a significant association between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits across all the models. Additionally, our models demonstrated that the association between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits may be dependent upon the biological sex of the individual with child maltreatment having a stronger effect on males than females (β = 0.15*).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our analyses lend support to prior research examining child maltreatment as a risk factor for the development of callous-unemotional traits in youth. We conclude by discussing the implications of our study and considerations for future research.

Neural Correlates of Decisions in Quasi-Realistic, Affective Social Interactions in Individuals With Violence-Related Socialization

Appropriate social behavior in aggressive-provocative interactions is a prerequisite for a peaceful life. In previous research, the dysfunctions of the control of aggression were suggested to be modulated by enhanced bottom-up (sub-cortically driven) and reduced top-down (iso-cortical frontal) processing capability. In the present study, two groups of individuals with enhanced (EG) and normal (NG) experiences of violent acts during their socialization made binary behavioral decisions in quasi-realistic social interactions. These interactions were presented in short video clips taken from a first-person perspective. The video clips showed social interaction scenarios oriented on realistic everyday life situations. The behavioral data supported the distinct affective qualities of three categories of social interactions. These categories were labeled as aggressive–provocative, social–positive, and neutral–social interactions. Functional neuroimaging data showed extended activation patterns and higher signal intensity for the NG compared to the EG in the lateral inferior frontal brain regions for the aggressive provocative interactions. Furthermore, the peri-aqueductal gray (PAG) produced enhanced activations for the affective interaction scenarios (i.e., aggressive-provocative and social-positive) in both groups and as a trend with the medium effect size for the neutral interactions in the EG. As the individuals in the EG did not show open aggression during the functional MRIA (fMRI) investigation, we concluded that they applied individual self-control strategies to regulate their aggressive impulses immediately. These strategies appeared to be top-down regulated through the dorsal frontal brain areas. The predominant recruitment of the heteromodal cortices during the neural processing of complex social interactions pointed to the important role of the learning history of individuals and their socialization with differing levels of violent experiences as crucial modulators in convicts. Our data suggest that building or strengthening the association between prototypical social contexts (e.g., aggressive-provocative interactions) and appropriate behaviors as a response to it provides a promising approach to successfully re-socialize people with a delinquent history.

Acute cannabidiol treatment attenuates ethanol-induced place preference and reduces aggressivity in group-housed male rats

Alcohol abuse is a widespread cause of aggressive and impulsive behaviors that impact the users as well as their entourage. However, only a few medications are effective. Recently, cannabidiol has been reported to improve mood disorders and recovery from substance abuse, yet the psychopharmacologic effects of cannabidiol in ethanol-induced drug reward and aggressivity remain unexplored. In the present study, we investigated the effects of cannabidiol on ethanol-induced place preference and aggressivity in individually and group-housed male rats using the conditioned place preference test, and intruder evoc aggression test, respectively. The obtained results showed that ethanol significantly increased locomotor activity, induced conditioned place preference in all animals, and, specifically, increased aggressivity in individually housed rats. These behavioural impairments induced by ethanol were associated with decreased glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors transcription in the prefrontal cortex. Notwithstanding, cannabidiol at a dose of 10 mg/kg significantly inhibited Et-OH-induced place preference in group-housed, but not in individually housed rats, and markedly inhibited the aggressive behaviour. These findings suggest that ethanol-induced behavioural impairments are dependent on the housing condition that may affect corticosterone receptors expression and subsequently the animal responsivity to cannabidiol treatment.

The Modulatory Role of Serotonin on Human Impulsive Aggression

The hypothesis of chronically low brain serotonin levels as pathophysiologically linked to impulsive aggression has been around for several decades. Whereas the theory was initially based on indirect methods to probe serotonin function, our understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in impulsive aggression has progressed with recent advances in neuroimaging. The review integrates evidence based on data from several neuroimaging domains in humans. In vivo molecular neuroimaging findings demonstrate associations between impulsive aggression and high serotonin 1B and serotonin 4 receptor binding, high serotonin transporter levels, and low monoamine oxidase A levels, suggesting that low interstitial serotonin levels are a neurobiological risk factor for impulsive aggressive behavior. Imaging genetics suggests that serotonergic-related genetic polymorphisms associate with antisocial behavior, and some evidence indicates that the low-expressing monoamine oxidase A genotype specifically predisposes to impulsive aggression, which may be mediated by effects on corticolimbic function. Interventions that (presumably) alter serotonin levels have effects on brain activity within brain regions involved in impulsive aggression, notably the amygdala, dorsal striatum, anterior cingulate, insula, and prefrontal cortex. Based on these findings, we propose a model for the modulatory role of serotonin in impulsive aggression. Future studies should ensure that clinical features unique for impulsive aggression are appropriately assessed, and we propose investigations of knowledge gaps that can help confirm, refute, or modify our proposed model of impulsive aggression.

The Structure, Covariates, and Etiology of Hypersexuality: Implications for Sexual Offending

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

A substantial increase in research on the structure, covariates, and etiology of hypersexuality has emerged during the last decade. It is the goal of this review to summarize and integrate this research and to indicate some practical implications for clinical and forensic practice, especially as applied to those who have sexually offended.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies from the last half-decade converge on the conclusion that hypersexuality has both problematic and high sexual drive components. Both aspects have consistently been found to be distributed dimensionally and not categorically. Each subdimension covaries differentially with specific types of impulsivity. In addition to sexual abuse, psychological or emotional abuse has emerged to be a potent developmental antecedent of hypersexuality. Current research has focused on the problematic dimension of hypersexuality and has neglected to specify the criteria for high sexual drive. Lacking are large-scale representative and clinical samples that provide determination of optimal cutoffs for treatment and dispositional decisions for both dimensions of hypersexuality. Research on the etiology of both aspects of hypersexuality is in its infancy, and more differentiated assessments of developmental abuse histories are required.

Neurostimulation for treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: an update on neurocircuitry and therapeutic targets

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widespread and often devastating psychiatric condition. Core symptoms include intrusive and distressing thoughts, heightened reactivity, mood changes, cognitive impairments, and consequent avoidance of trauma-related stimuli. Symptoms of PTSD are often refractory to standard treatments, and neuromodulatory techniques have therefore drawn significant interest among the most treatment-resistant patients. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has demonstrated minimal efficacy, and deep brain stimulation trials are currently ongoing. PTSD is a disorder of neural circuitry; the current understanding includes involvement of the amygdala (basolateral and central nuclei), the prefrontal cortex (ventral medial and dorsolateral regions), and the hippocampus. Neuroimaging and optogenetic studies have improved the understanding of large-scale neural networks and the effects of microcircuitry manipulation, respectively. This review discusses the current PTSD literature and ongoing neurostimulation trials, and it highlights the current understanding of neuronal circuit dysfunction in PTSD. The authors emphasize the anatomical correlations of PTSD's hallmark symptoms, offer another potential deep brain stimulation target for PTSD, and note the need for continued research to identify useful biomarkers for the development of closed-loop therapies. Although there is hope that neuromodulation will become a viable treatment modality for PTSD, this concept remains theoretical, and further research should involve institutional review board-approved controlled prospective clinical studies.

Methyl Jasmonate: Behavioral and Molecular Implications in Neurological Disorders

Methyl jasmonate (MJ) is a derivative of the jasmonate family which is found in most tropical regions of the world and present in many fruits and vegetables such as grapevines, tomato, rice, and sugarcane. MJ is a cyclopentanone phytohormone that plays a vital role in defense against stress and pathogens in plants. This has led to its isolation from plants for studies in animals. Many of these studies have been carried out to evaluate its therapeutic effects on behavioral and neurochemical functions. It has however been proposed to have beneficial potential over a wide range of neurological disorders. Hence, this review aims to provide an overview of the neuroprotective properties of MJ and its probable mechanisms of ameliorating neurological disorders. The information used for this review was sourced from research articles and scientific databases using 'methyl jasmonate', 'behavior', 'neuroprotection', 'neurodegenerative diseases', and 'mechanisms' as search words. The review highlights its influences on behavioral patterns of anxiety, aggression, depression, memory, psychotic, and stress. The molecular mechanisms such as modulation of the antioxidant defense, inflammatory biomarkers, neurotransmitter regulation, and neuronal regeneration, underlying its actions in managing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are also discussed. This review, therefore, provides a detailed evaluation of methyl jasmonate as a potential neuroprotective compound with the ability to modify behavioral and molecular biomarkers underlying neurological disorders. Hence, MJ could be modeled as a guided treatment for the management of brain diseases.

Reactive and Proactive Adaptation of Cognitive and Motor Neural Signals during Performance of a Stop-Change Task

The ability to inhibit or suppress unwanted or inappropriate actions, is an essential component of executive function and cognitive health. The immense selective pressure placed on maintaining inhibitory control processes is exemplified by the relatively small number of instances in which these systems completely fail in the average person's daily life. Although mistakes and errors do inevitably occur, inhibitory control systems not only ensure that this number is low, but have also adapted behavioral strategies to minimize future failures. The ability of our brains to adapt our behavior and appropriately engage proper motor responses is traditionally depicted as the primary domain of frontal brain areas, despite evidence to the fact that numerous other brain areas contribute. Using the stop-signal task as a common ground for comparison, we review a large body of literature investigating inhibitory control processes across frontal, temporal, and midbrain structures, focusing on our recent work in rodents, in an effort to understand how the brain biases action selection and adapts to the experience of conflict.

Patients with Ventromedial Prefrontal Lesions Show an Implicit Approach Bias to Angry Faces

Damage to the ventromedial PFC (VMPFC) can cause maladaptive social behavior, but the cognitive processes underlying these behavioral changes are still uncertain. Here, we tested whether patients with acquired VMPFC lesions show altered approach-avoidance tendencies to emotional facial expressions. Thirteen patients with focal VMPFC lesions and 31 age- and gender-matched healthy controls performed an implicit approach-avoidance task in which they either pushed or pulled a joystick depending on stimulus color. Whereas controls avoided angry faces, VMPFC patients displayed an incongruent response pattern characterized by both increased approach and reduced avoidance of angry facial expressions. The approach bias was stronger in patients with higher self-reported impulsivity and disinhibition and in those with larger lesions. We further used linear ballistic accumulator modeling to investigate latent parameters underlying approach-avoidance decisions. Controls displayed negative drift rates when approaching angry faces, whereas VMPFC lesions abolished this pattern. In addition, VMPFC patients had weaker response drifts than controls during avoidance. Finally, patients showed reduced drift rate variability and shorter nondecision times, indicating impulsive and rigid decision-making. Our findings thus suggest that VMPFC damage alters the pace of evidence accumulation in response to social signals, eliminating a default, protective avoidant bias and facilitating a dysfunctional approach behavior.

Increasing Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Conduct Problems in Children and Adolescents: What Can We Learn from Neuroimaging Studies?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is particularly relevant for children from 7 years on and adolescents with clinical levels of conduct problems. CBT provides these children and adolescents with anger regulation and social problem-solving skills that enable them to behave in more independent and situation appropriate ways. Typically, CBT is combined with another psychological treatment such as behavioral parent training in childhood or an intervention targeting multiple systems in adolescence. The effectiveness of CBT, however, is in the small to medium range. The aim of this review is to describe how the effectiveness of CBT may be improved by paying more attention to a series of psychological functions that have been shown to be impaired in neuroimaging studies: (1) anger recognition, (2) the ability to generate situation appropriate solutions to social problems, (3) reinforcement-based decision making, (4) response inhibition, and (5) affective empathy. It is suggested that children and adolescents first become familiar with these psychological functions during group CBT sessions. In individual sessions in which the parents (and/or child care workers in day treatment and residential treatment) and the child or adolescent participate, parents then learn to elicit, support, and reinforce their child’s use of these psychological functions in everyday life (in vivo practice). In these individual sessions, working on the psychological functions is tailored to the individual child’s characteristic impairments of these functions. CBT therapists may also share crucial social-learning topics with teachers with a view to creating learning opportunities for children and adolescents at school.

Serotonin depletion amplifies distinct human social emotions as a function of individual differences in personality

Serotonin is involved in a wide range of mental capacities essential for navigating the social world, including emotion and impulse control. Much recent work on serotonin and social functioning has focused on decision-making. Here we investigated the influence of serotonin on human emotional reactions to social conflict. We used a novel computerised task that required mentally simulating social situations involving unjust harm and found that depleting the serotonin precursor tryptophan-in a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled design-enhanced emotional responses to the scenarios in a large sample of healthy volunteers (n = 73), and interacted with individual differences in trait personality to produce distinctive human emotions. Whereas guilt was preferentially elevated in highly empathic participants, annoyance was potentiated in those high in trait psychopathy, with medium to large effect sizes. Our findings show how individual differences in personality, when combined with fluctuations of serotonin, may produce diverse emotional phenotypes. This has implications for understanding vulnerability to psychopathology, determining who may be more sensitive to serotonin-modulating treatments, and casts new light on the functions of serotonin in emotional processing.

A Systematic Review of Primary and Secondary Callous-Unemotional Traits and Psychopathy Variants in Youth

Two variants of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and psychopathy have been proposed, referred to as primary and secondary. Whereas primary variants are thought to be underpinned by insufficient arousal to emotional cues, secondary variants are thought to develop as a coping mechanism in response to trauma exposure. Compared with adult samples, research on primary and secondary variants in children and adolescents under the age of 18 has only emerged in the past decade, and there is ongoing debate with regards to the identification, defining characteristics, and distinct correlates of these variants. The present systematic review synthesizes the current literature on primary and secondary variants in relation to: (1) constructs used to distinguish and define primary and secondary variants; (2) study population characteristics; (3) data analytic techniques to differentiate variants; and (4) differential associations with theoretically relevant indices related to emotional processing, maltreatment, biomarkers, and behavioral outcomes (e.g., substance use, aggression). This is the first systematic review to examine the growing literature on primary and secondary CU and psychopathy variants among youth. Findings support the distinction between youth with primary versus secondary variants and demonstrate that this distinction is related to unique clinical correlates. Recommendations are made for future research in the field.

Higher anxiety rating does not mean poor speech performance: dissociation of the neural mechanisms of anticipation and delivery of public speaking

Public speaking anxiety refers to feelings of nervousness when anticipating or delivering a speech. However, the relationship between anxiety in the anticipation phase and speech delivery phase is unclear. In this study, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to record participants' brain activities when they were anticipating or performing public speaking tasks in an immersive virtual reality environment. Neuroimaging results showed that participants' subjective ratings of public anxiety in the anticipation phase but not the delivery phase were correlated with activities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the precentral and postcentral gyrus. In contrast, their speaking performance could be predicted by activities in the temporal gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus in the delivery phase. This suggests a dissociation in the neural mechanisms between anxiety in preparation and execution of a speech. The conventional anxiety questionnaire is a good predictor of anticipatory anxiety, but cannot predict speaking performance. Using virtual reality to establish a situational test could be a better approach to assess in vivo public speaking performance.

The ever-changing OFC landscape: What neural signals in OFC can tell us about inhibitory control

Despite decades of research on OFC function, the exact function(s) of OFC remain elusive. In recent years, 1 of the earliest hypotheses about OFC function, namely its involvement in inhibitory control, has drifted to the periphery of the functional OFC landscape in favor of theories suggesting a role for OFC in the representation of task or state space. The reasons for this drift are valid, owing in part to the development of more sensitive behavioral approaches, a clear emphasis on cross-species and cross-method comparisons, as well as the elegant integration of reinforcement learning theories. However, recent evidence recording from OFC during the performance of traditional inhibitory control tasks has found new evidence supporting a role for OFC in inhibitory control. While the extent to which these findings can be integrated into existing frameworks is in its infancy, this review seeks to highlight these findings with the goal of providing new insights into function of OFC. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

An overlapping pattern of cerebral cortical thinning is associated with both positive symptoms and aggression in schizophrenia via the ENIGMA consortium

BACKGROUND

Positive symptoms are a useful predictor of aggression in schizophrenia. Although a similar pattern of abnormal brain structures related to both positive symptoms and aggression has been reported, this observation has not yet been confirmed in a single sample.

METHOD

To study the association between positive symptoms and aggression in schizophrenia on a neurobiological level, a prospective meta-analytic approach was employed to analyze harmonized structural neuroimaging data from 10 research centers worldwide. We analyzed brain MRI scans from 902 individuals with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia and 952 healthy controls.

RESULTS

The result identified a widespread cortical thickness reduction in schizophrenia compared to their controls. Two separate meta-regression analyses revealed that a common pattern of reduced cortical gray matter thickness within the left lateral temporal lobe and right midcingulate cortex was significantly associated with both positive symptoms and aggression.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggested that positive symptoms such as formal thought disorder and auditory misperception, combined with cognitive impairments reflecting difficulties in deploying an adaptive control toward perceived threats, could escalate the likelihood of aggression in schizophrenia.

The Implications of Motor and Cognitive Inhibition for Hot and Cool Executive Functions: The Case of Quadrato Motor Training

Enabling the ceasing of ongoing or prepotent responses and the controlling of interference, motor inhibition facilitates the development of executive functions (EFs) such as thought before action, decision-making, self-regulation of affect, motivation, and arousal. In the current paper, a characterization is offered of the relationship between motor inhibition and the executive functioning system, in the context of a proposed division into predominantly affective (hot) and cognitive (cool) components corresponding to neural trajectories originating in the prefrontal cortex. This division is central to understanding the effects of a specifically-structured sensorimotor movement training practice, known as Quadrato Motor Training (QMT), on hot and cool EFs. QMT's effects on crucial mechanisms of integrating different EF components are discussed.

Democratic Frustration: Concept, Dimensions and Behavioural Consequences

Using insights from the psychology literature, this article introduces and operationalises the concept of ‘democratic frustration’ to shed new light on the pathologies of democratic crises. While political scientists have devoted ample attention to democratic crises and dissatisfaction, this article suggests that citizens’ frequent references to their “frustration” should be taken more literally. Specifically, it suggests that citizens become frustrated when a perceived democratic delivery deficit interacts with a strong democratic expectation or desire. The article tests this model using two original surveys run in the UK during the 2017 General Election and 2019 European Parliament elections. By measuring expectations and delivery deficit separately, the article maps democratic frustration vis-à-vis alternative concepts such as apathy, criticality, and cynicism, and shows that it is more widespread as an expectation–deficit combination than any of them. It suggests that democratic frustration comprises of three dimensions: ideological, institutional and political. Adapting insights from the psychology of frustration that show it usually results in expressions of withdrawal, anger, or aggression, the article then explores how the three dimensions of frustration typically result in different pathologies. Ideological frustration leads to abstention (withdrawal), institutional frustration to peaceful demonstrations or radical vote (anger) and to envisage leaving one’s country, whilst political and institutional frustrations combine and lead citizens to consider taking part in violent demonstrations or even joining a revolution (aggression).

Modeling the Comorbidity of Cannabis Abuse and Conduct Disorder/Conduct Problems from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective

Objective: A cognitive neuroscience perspective seeks to understand behavior, in this case the comorbidity of cannabis abuse and conduct disorder/conduct problems, in terms of dysfunction in cognitive processes underpinned by neural processes. The goal of this review is to articulate a cognitive neuroscience account of this comorbidity. Methods: Literature on the following issues will be reviewed: (i) the longitudinal relationship between cannabis abuse and conduct disorder/conduct problems (CD/CP); (ii) the extent to which there are genetic and environmental (specifically maltreatment) factors that underpin this relationship; (iii) forms of neurocognitive function that are reported dysfunctional in CD/CP and also, when dysfunctional, appear to be risk factors for future cannabis abuse; and (iv) the extent to which cannabis abuse may further compromise these systems leading to increased future abuse and greater conduct problems. Results: CD/CP typically predate cannabis abuse. There appear to be shared genetic factors that contribute to the relationship between CD/CP and cannabis abuse. Moreover, trauma exposure increases risk for both cannabis abuse and CP/CD. One form of neurocognitive dysfunction, response disinhibition, that likely exacerbates the symptomatology of many individuals with CD also appears to increase the risk for cannabis abuse. The literature with respect to other forms of neurocognitive dysfunction remains inconclusive. Conclusions: Based on the literature, a causal model of the comorbidity of cannabis abuse and CD/CP is developed.

Neuroimaging Evidence for Right Orbitofrontal Cortex Differences in Adolescents With Emotional and Behavioral Dysregulation

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the structural and functional neurobiology of a large group of adolescents exhibiting a behaviorally and emotionally dysregulated phenotype.

METHOD

Adolescents aged 14 years from the IMAGEN study were investigated. Latent class analysis (LCA) on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to identify a class of individuals with elevated behavioral and emotional difficulties ("dysregulated"; n = 233) who were compared to a matched sample from a low symptom class (controls, n = 233). Whole-brain gray matter volume (GMV) images were compared using a general linear model with 10,000 random label permutations. Regional GMV findings were then probed for functional differences from three functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tasks. Significant brain features then informed mediation path models linking the likelihood of psychiatric disorders (DSM-IV) with dysregulation.

RESULTS

Whole-brain differences were found in the right orbitofrontal cortex (R.OFC; p < .05; k = 48), with dysregulated individuals exhibiting lower GMV. The dysregulated group also exhibited higher activity in this region during successful inhibitory control (F_1,429 = 7.53, p < .05). Path analyses indicated significant direct effects between the likelihood of psychopathologies and dysregulation. Modeling the R.OFC as a mediator returned modest partial effects, suggesting that the path linking the likelihood of an anxiety or conduct disorder diagnoses to dysregulation is partially explained by this anatomical feature.

CONCLUSION

A large sample of dysregulated adolescents exhibited lower GMV in the R.OFC relative to controls. Dysregulated individuals also exhibited higher regional activations when exercising inhibitory control at performance levels comparable to those of controls. These findings suggest a neurobiological marker of dysregulation and highlight the role of the R.OFC in impaired emotional and behavioral control.

Editorial: Linking Emotional and Behavioral Dysregulation in Adolescents to Regulatory Cortex

A major goal of psychiatric neuroscience is to identify brain regions and circuits that underlie clinical phenomena to gain a more precise understanding of their nature and treatment.¹ These are early days in this effort, especially for pediatric mental health, but already there is evidence that brain changes may herald psychosis in youths at genetic risk for schizophrenia² or response to therapy in youths with anxiety.³ Elucidating these brain-behavior relationships requires one to identify a clinically meaningful phenotype and associate it with specific brain regions or circuits that plausibly underlie the phenotype. In their article, Spechler et al.⁴ do just that by linking parent reports of broadly defined emotional and behavioral difficulties with gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). It is a compelling find because the OFC is thought to play a role in adaptive socioemotional functioning. The OFC is necessary for evaluating what outcome is most desirable in complex situations and is interconnected with other regions, such as the amygdala, that underlie social and emotional responses.

Impaired processing of threat in psychopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of factorial data in male offender populations

Background

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterised by two underlying factors. Factor 1 (affective and interpersonal deficits) captures affective deficits, whilst Factor 2 (antisocial and impulsive/disorganised behaviours) captures life course persistent antisocial behaviours. Impaired processing of threat has been proposed as an aetiologically salient factor in the development of psychopathy, but the relationship of this impairment to the factorial structure of the disorder in adult male offenders is unclear.

Objectives

To investigate whether threat processing deficits are characteristic of psychopathy as a unitary construct or whether such deficits are specifically linked to higher scores on individual factors.

Data sources

A systematic review of the literature was conducted by searching PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO.

Methods

Studies were included if they (1) reported physiological measures of threat response as the primary outcome measure (2) indexed psychopathy using a well-validated clinician rated instrument such as the PCL-R (3) investigated male offenders between 18 and 60 years of age (4) reported threat processing analyses using both Factor 1 and Factor 2 scores (5) provided sufficient data to calculate effect sizes and (6) were published in English-language peer-reviewed journals. We identified twelve studies with data on 1112 participants for the meta-analysis of the relationship with Factor 1 scores, and nine studies with data on 801 participants for the meta-analysis of the relationship with Factor 2 scores. We conducted the meta-analyses to calculate correlations using random-effects models.

Results

PCL-R/SV Factor 1 scores were significantly and negatively related to threat processing indices (r = -0.22, (95%CI [-0.28, -.017]). Neither PCL-R/SV Factor 2 scores (r = -0.005, 95%CI [-0.10, 0.09]), nor PCL-R total score (r = -0.05, (95%CI [-0.15, -0.04]) were related to threat processing indices. No significant heterogeneity was detected for the Factor score results.

Conclusions

The meta-analyses of the distinct psychopathy factors suggest that the threat processing deficits observed in male offenders with psychopathy are significantly associated with higher scores on Factor 1. A similar relationship does not exist with Factor 2 scores. Our findings highlight the importance of investigating the potentially discrete relationships between aetiological variables and the two factor constructs in the disorder.

Orbitofrontal cortex

The orbitofrontal cortex is a large and heterogeneous cortical area on the ventral surface of the frontal lobe and is intimately involved in emotion and executive function. In this Primer, Peter Rudebeck and Erin Rich summarize our understanding of the mechanisms through which orbitofrontal cortex adaptively shapes decision making and affective behavior.

Stimulating the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) modulates frustration-induced aggression: A tDCS experiment

BACKGROUND

The prefrontal cortex is crucial for top-down regulation of aggression, but the neural underpinnings of aggression are still poorly understood. Past research showed the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) modulates aggression following exposure to risk factors for aggression (e.g., social exclusion, violent media). Although frustration is a key risk factor for aggression, no study to date has examined the modulatory role of tDCS on frustration-induced aggression.

OBJECTIVES

By exploring the VLPFC involvement in frustration-aggression link, we tested the hypothesis that the anodal tDCS over right and left VLPFC modulates frustration-induced aggression. We also explored whether tDCS interacts with gender to influence frustration-induced aggression.

METHODS

90 healthy participants (45 men) were randomly assigned to receive anodal or sham tDCS over the right or left VLPFC before being frustrated by an accomplice. To increase reliability, several tasks were used to measure aggression.

RESULTS

We found that anodal tDCS over the left VLPFC, compared to sham stimulation, increased aggression. Unexpectedly, no main effect was found following tDCS of right VLPFC. However, we also found a significant interaction between gender and tDCS, showing that males were more aggressive than females following sham stimulation, but females became as aggressive as males following active tDCS.

CONCLUSION

Overall, these results shed light on the neural basis of frustration-induced aggression, providing further evidence for the involvement of VLPFC in modulating aggressive responses, and on gender differences in aggression. Future research should further investigate the role of stimulating the VLPFC on frustration-induced aggression.

Linking Early Life Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Functioning, Brain Asymmetries, and Personality Traits in Dyslexia: An Informative Case Study

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a multi-system disorder, combining influences of susceptibility genes and environmental factors. The causative interaction between specific genetic factors, brain regions, and personality/mental disorders, as well as specific learning disabilities, has been thoroughly investigated with regard to the approach of developing a multifaceted diagnostic procedure with an intervention strategy potential. In an attempt to add new translational evidence to the interconnection of the above factors in the occurrence of DD, we performed a combinatorial analysis of brain asymmetries, personality traits, cognitive and learning skills, and expression profiles of selected genes in an adult, early diagnosed with DD, and in his son of typical development. We focused on the expression of genes, based on the assumption that the regulation of transcription may be affected by genetic and epigenetic factors. The results highlighted a potential chain link between neuroplasticity-related as well as stress-related genes, such as BDNF, Sox4, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and GILZ, leftward asymmetries in the amygdala and selective cerebellum lobules, and tendencies for personality disorders and dyslexia. This correlation may reflect the presence of a specific neuro-epigenetic component of DD, ensuing from the continuous, multifaceted difficulties in the acquisition of cognitive and learning skills, which in turn may act as a fostering mechanism for the onset of long-term disorders. This is in line with recent findings demonstrating a dysfunction in processes supported by rapid neural adaptation in children and adults with dyslexia. Accordingly, the co-evaluation of all the above parameters may indicate a stress-related dyslexia endophenotype that should be carefully considered for a more integrated diagnosis and effective intervention.

Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and Its Shorten Version in Chinese Detained Boys

The Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) was designed to assess psychopathic traits in adolescents. However, there exists limited evidence for the factor structure and psychometric properties of the YPI when used with Chinese detained juveniles. The present study aimed to examine the factor structure and construct validity of the YPI and its shortened version (YPI-S) in a sample of 607 Chinese 14- to 22-year-old detained boys (M = 17.15, SD = 1.09). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a bifactor model which best fit the data at the subscale level for the YPI, and at the item level for the YPI-S. The internal consistency of the YPI and YPI-S scores ranged from marginal to good. Both the YPI and YPI-S total and factor scores correlated positively with the APSD, an alternative psychopathic measure, as well as with proactive and reactive aggression, and correlated negatively with affective and cognitive empathy. Overall, the YPI and YPI-S are shown to be practical and valid assessment tools to measure psychopathic traits in Chinese detained youths.

Exposure therapy for pediatric irritability: Theory and potential mechanisms

Pediatric irritability is prevalent and impairing, yet little is known about its pathophysiology and treatment. In this article, we build on our and others' previous work to posit core mechanisms of irritability operating across the brain, behavior, and environment. Specifically, we propose proximal processes that surround the symptomatology of irritability and are potential targets for an exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for irritability that our group has developed. The heart of this model focuses on neurocognitive processes: youth's encoding of nonreward and threat stimuli, which involves prediction error signaling in the brain, and cognitive control in the context of frustration. Alterations in these processes are theorized to be central to chronic, severe irritability. Environmental responses to youth's symptom expression are also examined. Exposure-based CBT for irritability utilizes controlled, in vivo exposure to nonreward and threat stimuli with the aim to engage cognitive control and target top-down regulation of frustration. This intervention integrates selected parent management training techniques to target symptom reinforcement processes. Continued pathophysiological and treatment studies of irritability will not only refine our emerging understanding of the phenotype, but also inform broader questions on the brain and behavioral mechanisms of CBT efficacy.

The Caring Continuum: Evolved Hormonal and Proximal Mechanisms Explain Prosocial and Antisocial Extremes

Implicit in the long-standing disagreements about whether humans’ fundamental nature is predominantly caring or callous is an assumption of uniformity. This article reviews evidence that instead supports inherent variation in caring motivation and behavior. The continuum between prosocial and antisocial extremes reflects variation in the structure and function of neurohormonal systems originally adapted to motivate parental care and since repurposed to support generalized forms of care. Extreme social behaviors such as extraordinary acts of altruism and aggression can often be best understood as reflecting variation in the neural systems that support care. A review of comparative, developmental, and neurobiological research finds consistent evidence that variations in caring motivations and behavior reflect individual differences in sensitivity to cues that signal vulnerability and distress and in the tendency to generalize care outward from socially close to distant others. The often complex relationships between caring motivation and various forms of altruism and aggression are discussed.

Applying a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective to Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Implications for Schools

A cognitive neuroscience perspective seeks to understand behavior, in this case disruptive behavior disorders (DBD), in terms of dysfunction in cognitive processes underpinned by neural processes. While this type of approach has clear implications for clinical mental health practice, it also has implications for school-based assessment and intervention with children and adolescents who have disruptive behavior and aggression. This review articulates a cognitive neuroscience account of DBD by discussing the neurocognitive dysfunction related to emotional empathy, threat sensitivity, reinforcement-based decision-making, and response inhibition. The potential implications for current and future classroom-based assessments and interventions for students with these deficits are discussed.