Journal Article

From provocation to aggression: the neural network

Repple, Jonathan, Schneider, Frank, Kohn, Nils, Siegel, Steven, Habel, Ute, Pawliczek, Christina M., Voss, Bianca

2017

Overview

Background In-vivo observations of neural processes during human aggressive behavior are difficult to obtain, limiting the number of studies in this area. To address this gap, the present study implemented a social reactive aggression paradigm in 29 healthy men, employing non-violent provocation in a two-player game to elicit aggressive behavior in fMRI settings. Results Participants responded more aggressively after high provocation reflected in taking more money from their opponents. Comparing aggression trials after high provocation to those after low provocation revealed activations in neural circuits involved in aggression: the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and the insula. In general, our findings indicate that aggressive behavior activates a complex, widespread brain network, reflecting a cortico-limbic interaction and overlapping with circuits underlying negative emotions and conflicting decision-making. Brain activation during provocation in the OFC was associated with the degree of aggressive behavior in this task. Conclusion Therefore, data suggest there is greater susceptibility for provocation, rather than less inhibition of aggressive tendencies, in individuals with higher aggressive responses. This further supports the hypothesis that reactive aggression can be seen as a consequence of provocation of aggressive emotional responses and parallel evaluative regulatory processes mediated mainly by the insula and prefrontal areas (OFC, mPFC, dlPFC, and ACC) respectively.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Aggression / Aggression - physiology / Aggressive behavior / Aggressiveness / Animal Models / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Brain - physiology / Brain Mapping / Brain research / Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology / Circuits / Cognition and behavior: learning and behavior / Cortex (cingulate) / Decision making / Emotions / Emotions - physiology / Functional magnetic resonance imaging / Health aspects / Human acts / Human behavior / Humans / Impulsivity / Male / Medical imaging / Neural networks / Neural Networks (Computer) / Neurobiology / Neuroimaging / Neurosciences / Prefrontal cortex / PSAP / Questionnaires / Research Article / Studies / TAP / Trends / Violence / Young Adult