da Cunha-Bang Sofi, Fisher Patrick M, Hjordt Liv Vadskjær, Perfalk Erik, Persson Skibsted Anine, Bock Camilla, Ohlhues Baandrup Anders, Deen Marie, Thomsen Carsten, Sestoft Dorte M, Knudsen Gitte M
Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2017 May 1;12(5):802-810. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsx006.
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.
成功抑制冲动和愤怒情绪的能力是控制挑衅后攻击反应的基础。本研究的目的是使用反应性攻击的实验室模型来检查对挑衅和攻击的神经反应。我们对44名男性使用了一种新颖的功能磁共振成像点减法攻击范式，其中18名是被监禁的暴力罪犯，26名是对照非罪犯。我们测量了挑衅（金钱扣除）后的大脑激活情况，此时受试者有可能表现出攻击性或追求金钱奖励。暴力罪犯比对照组表现得更具攻击性（攻击频率分别为150次和84次，P = 0.03），并且在杏仁核和纹状体内对挑衅表现出显著更高的大脑反应性，同时杏仁核-前额叶和纹状体-前额叶连接减少。暴力罪犯中杏仁核对挑衅的反应性与任务相关行为呈正相关。在所有组中，纹状体和前额叶对挑衅的反应性与特质愤怒和特质攻击呈正相关。这些结果表明，暴力个体对社会挑衅表现出异常高的神经敏感性，这种敏感性与攻击行为有关。这些发现为对挑衅敏感的神经通路提供了新的见解，这对于更有效地制定旨在减少病理性攻击行为的干预措施至关重要。
