Media violence exposure and frontal lobe activation measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging in aggressive and nonaggressive adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To understand better the relation between media violence exposure, brain functioning, and trait aggression, this study investigated the association between media violence exposure and brain activation as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in groups of normal adolescents and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) with aggressive features.


METHODS
Seventy-one participants underwent neuropsychologic evaluation and assessment of exposure to violent media. Subjects also were evaluated with fMRI while performing a counting Stroop (CS) task.


RESULTS
Frontal lobe activation was reduced in aggressive subjects compared with control subjects. In addition, differences in frontal lobe activation were associated with differences in media violence exposure. Specifically, activation during performance of the CS in control subjects with high media violence exposure resembled that seen in DBD subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that media violence exposure may be associated with alterations in brain functioning whether or not trait aggression is present.
Mathews
Vincent P
VP
Department of Radiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 42678, USA. vmathews@iupui.edu
Kronenberger
William G
WG
Wang
Yang
Y
Lurito
Joseph T
JT
Lowe
Mark J
MJ
Dunn
David W
DW
D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D014754:Violence