Violent offenders respond to provocations with high amygdala and striatal reactivity

Abstract

The ability to successfully suppress impulses and angry affect is fundamental to control aggressive reactions following provocations. The aim of this study was to examine neural responses to provocations and aggression using a laboratory model of reactive aggression. We used a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging point-subtraction aggression paradigm in 44 men, of whom 18 were incarcerated violent offenders and 26 were control non-offenders. We measured brain activation following provocations (monetary subtractions), while the subjects had the possibility to behave aggressively or pursue monetary rewards. The violent offenders behaved more aggressively than controls (aggression frequency 150 vs 84, P = 0.03) and showed significantly higher brain reactivity to provocations within the amygdala and striatum, as well as reduced amygdala-prefrontal and striato-prefrontal connectivity. Amygdala reactivity to provocations was positively correlated with task-related behavior in the violent offenders. Across groups, striatal and prefrontal reactivity to provocations was positively associated with trait anger and trait aggression. These results suggest that violent individuals display abnormally high neural sensitivity to social provocations, a sensitivity related to aggressive behavior. These findings provide novel insight into the neural pathways that are sensitive to provocations, which is critical to more effectively shaped interventions that aim to reduce pathological aggressive behavior.

Reactive Aggression Affects Response Inhibition to Angry Expressions in Adolescents: An Event-Related Potential Study Using the Emotional Go/No-Go Paradigm

“…These indicate that when facing angry expressions, the later stage of actual inhibitory control of the motor control system is disrupted in reactively aggressive adolescents. The present results are a useful supplement to our previous studies and are consistent with existing studies using fMRI technology (Beyer et al, 2015;da Cunha-Bang et al, 2017;Jiang et al, 2018). According to the ICM, when presented angry expressions, reactively aggressive adolescents engage in more hostile interpretations, thereby impairing the later stage of response inhibition (Wilkowski and Robinson, 2010).…”

“…Behavioral studies have shown that when presented with angry expressions, response inhibition is impaired in reactively aggressive adolescents (Denson et al, 2011). Brain imaging studies have found that when individuals are presented with angry expressions, orbitomedial prefrontal cortex (OMPFC) reactivity and functional connectivity from limbic system (such as in the caudate nucleus and amygdala) to the OMPFC are significantly and negatively correlated with reactive aggression (Beyer et al, 2015;da Cunha-Bang et al, 2017;Jiang et al, 2018). The OMPFC is associated with response inhibition in hostile situations (Koenigs and Tranel, 2007).…”

Are There Any Biomarkers for Pedophilia and Sexual Child Abuse? A Review

“…According to the authors, these findings may support the theory of disturbed fronto-limbic functioning as a possible causal factor for child sexual offending regardless of pedophilia. Interestingly, a reduced fronto-limbic functional connectivity (as a response to provocations) has also been shown for violent and psychopathic offenders (69,70). From studies with healthy subjects, it is known that there is a strong top-down inhibitory control of prefrontal over limbic structures (especially amygdala), mediating responses to provocations [for review see: (71)].…”

Aggression‐related brain function assessed with the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm in fMRI

“…The PSAP has proved useful for probing behavioral responses related to reactive aggression (Cherek, Tcheremissine, & Lane, ). It has been demonstrated that criminally‐violent individuals (Cherek, Moeller, Schnapp, & Dougherty, ; Cherek, Lane, Dougherty, Moeller, & White, ; da Cunha‐Bang et al, ) and patients diagnosed with borderline personality and intermitted explosive disorder (New et al, ) respond more aggressively during the PSAP than healthy, non‐violent individuals. Thus, the PSAP represents a potentially useful probe for aggression‐related brain function.…”