Repeated exposure to media violence is associated with diminished response in an inhibitory frontolimbic network.
BACKGROUND
Media depictions of violence, although often claimed to induce viewer aggression, have not been shown to affect the cortical networks that regulate behavior.


RESULTS
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we found that repeated exposure to violent media, but not to other equally arousing media, led to both diminished response in right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (right ltOFC) and a decrease in right ltOFC-amygdala interaction. Reduced function in this network has been previously associated with decreased control over a variety of behaviors, including reactive aggression. Indeed, we found reduced right ltOFC responses to be characteristic of those subjects that reported greater tendencies toward reactive aggression. Furthermore, the violence-induced reduction in right ltOFC response coincided with increased throughput to behavior planning regions.


CONCLUSIONS
These novel findings establish that even short-term exposure to violent media can result in diminished responsiveness of a network associated with behaviors such as reactive aggression.
Kelly
Christopher R
CR
Department of Radiology, Functional MRI Research Center, Columbia University, Neurological Institute, New York, New York, United States of America. crk2002@columbia.edu
Grinband
Jack
J
Hirsch
Joy
J
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D014754:Violence