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Superior temporal gyrus activation modulates revenge-like aggressive response tendencies in antisocial men after provocation: Evidence from an fMRI study using a modified Taylor aggression paradigm
,
C. Kärgel,
C. Massau,
J. Konzok,
Anna-Lena Brand,
Kai Wetzel,
Katharina Weckes,
B.M. Kudielka,
S. Wüst,
H. Eisenbarth,
B. Schiffer
Neuropsychologia, Volume: 211, Start page: 109133
Swansea University Author:
Kathrin Weidacker
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© 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.
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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109133
Abstract
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterised by a disregard of others’ feelings, social norms, rules and obligations as well as increased reactive and proactive aggression among others. Experimental investigations of neural correlates of provocation and associated aggression often use com...
| Published in: | Neuropsychologia |
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| ISSN: | 0028-3932 |
| Published: |
Elsevier BV
2025
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69143 |
| Abstract: |
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterised by a disregard of others’ feelings, social norms, rules and obligations as well as increased reactive and proactive aggression among others. Experimental investigations of neural correlates of provocation and associated aggression often use competitive reaction time tasks played against a fictional opponent, such as the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP). However, previous TAP neuroimaging research mainly focused on aggression levels in healthy and not forensic populations. This first functional magnetic resonance imaging study on monetary TAP (mTAP) provocation and aggression assesses 20 violent offenders with ASPD and compares behavioural and neural responses to 17 age and education-matched healthy community participants (HC). Behaviourally, no significant group differences emerged, all participants reacted with increased punishment when faced with high vs. low provocation. On the neural level, offenders showed significantly stronger right superior temporal gyrus (STG) activation than HC during provocation. Exploratory analyses indicated that this STG activation was behaviourally relevant, as those with ASPD who expressed stronger STG activation during provocation also responded with stronger unprovoked punishment during the aggression phase. In addition, during the aggression phase, provocation was accompanied by increased left superior parietal lobe activation in ASPD compared to HC. In sum, we found enhanced neural processing of provocation in ASPD which was also associated with more unprovoked aggression. The increased neural processing of provocation in ASPD and its association with subsequent higher aggression could have clinical relevance. At least, cognitive processing of perceived provocation could be a worthwhile intervention target for reducing aggressive response tendencies. |
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| Keywords: |
ASPD; Violence; Aggression; Taylor aggression paradigm; fMRI |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
This research is funded by a grant of the German Research Foundation (DFG SCHI 1034/7–1) to BS, BMK, SW & HE. |
| Start Page: |
109133 |