Brain network localization of structural and functional abnormality associated with aggression.
Zhaobin Chen1, Yudan Ding2, Yong Liu1
1Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Translational Psychiatry
|October 10, 2025
Summary
This study mapped brain networks linked to aggression, identifying distinct patterns in gray matter, task activity, and resting states. These findings offer a unified neurobiological framework for aggression and potential intervention targets.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging
- Network Analysis
Background:
- Aggression presents societal and clinical challenges, yet its neural underpinnings and network localization are poorly understood.
- Inconsistent findings hinder a clear understanding of the brain mechanisms driving aggression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize neuroimaging data to identify brain regions and networks associated with aggression.
- To localize aggression-related structural and functional brain alterations into distinct network categories.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of 91 neuroimaging studies on trait and elicited aggression.
- Functional connectivity network mapping and large-scale brain connectome data analysis.
- Construction of probability maps for aggression-related brain abnormality networks (gray matter, task-induced activation, resting-state activity).
Main Results:
- Gray matter abnormalities linked to aggression were found in the insula, superior temporal gyrus, and cingulate cortex, primarily within salience networks.
- Task-induced activation abnormalities implicated basal ganglia and anterior salience networks, with variations between trait and elicited aggression.
- Resting-state activity abnormalities involved the dorsal default mode and visual networks.
Conclusions:
- A unified network-based framework for understanding aggression's neurobiology was established, resolving prior inconsistencies.
- Identified networks may serve as biomarkers for targeted interventions, including brain stimulation, pharmacological, and psychological approaches.
