Brain responses in aggression-prone individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of anger- and aggression-eliciting tasks

Reactive aggression in response to perceived threat or provocation is part of humans' adaptive behavioral repertoire. However, high levels of aggression can lead to the violation of social and legal norms. Understanding brain function in individuals with high levels of aggression as they process anger- and aggression-eliciting stimuli is critical for refining explanatory models of aggression and thereby improving interventions. Three neurobiological models of reactive aggression – the limbic hyperactivity, prefrontal hypoactivity, and dysregulated limbic-prefrontal connectivity models – have been proposed. However, these models are based on neuroimaging studies involving mainly non-aggressive individuals, leaving it unclear which model best describes brain function in those with a history of aggression.