Structural Correlates of Reactive and Proactive Aggression

• In Event: Structural Brain Imaging Correlates of Crime

Abstract

Objective: A large body of literature suggests that reactive and proactive aggression are distinct constructs with differential correlates and etiology. While some studies have used functional MRI to test for functional abnormalities associated with aggression, there is a gap in the literature regarding brain structure integrity. This study helps fill that gap by using structural MRI to test whether structural abnormalities (e.g. degree of cortical thickness), particularly in the prefrontal cortex, are associated with reactive and/or proactive aggression.
Method: 138 males were recruited from temporary employment agencies in the greater Los Angeles area. Structural integrity was assessed using structural MRI. Reactive and proactive aggression were self-reported using the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire.

Authors

• Rebecca Umbach, University of Pennsylvania

• Adrian Raine, University of Pennsylvania

• Yaling Yang, Children's Hospital Los Angeles / University of Southern California