Brain network localization of structural and functional abnormality associated with aggression.

backgroundAggression, while evolutionarily adaptive, becomes maladaptive when it violates social norms and inflicts harm, posing significant societal and clinical challenges. Despite extensive research, the neural mechanisms underlying aggression remain poorly understood due to inconsistent findings and the network localization of aggression remains underexplored.

methodsThis study synthesized findings from 91 neuroimaging studies, including 56 studies on trait aggression (1387 aggressive and 1251 non-aggressive individuals) and 40 studies on elicited aggression (2651 individuals), to identify brain regions implicated in aggression and constructed probability maps of aggression-related brain abnormality networks. We applied functional connectivity network mapping combined with large-scale brain connectome data to localize aggression-related structural and functional brain alterations into three distinct networks: gray matter volume, task-induced activation, and resting-state activity.

resultsThe aggression gray matter volume abnormality network encompassed widespread regions, including the insula, superior temporal gyrus, and cingulate cortex, predominantly involving the salience networks. The task-induced activation abnormalitynetwork implicated the basal ganglia and anterior salience networks, with subgroup analyses revealing distinct patterns between elicited and trait aggression. The resting-state activity abnormality network involved the dorsal default mode and visual networks.

conclusionsThese findings provide a unified framework for understanding aggression's neurobiology from a network perspective, addressing prior inconsistencies. The identified networks may serve as biomarkers for refining brain stimulation targets and guiding pharmacological or psychological interventions to mitigate aggression.