Autobiographical memories of anger in violent and non-violent individuals: a script-driven imagery study.
Numerous studies have implicated frontal lobe dysfunction in anger-related impulsive violent behavior; however, few studies have looked at frontal activity during angry states in violent individuals. Using PET and a script-driven imagery paradigm, we report on autobiographical memories of angry vs. neutral memories in violent patients and psychiatric matched controls. Relative to recall of neutral memories, recall of anger-laden memories was associated with an activation of frontal regions among control subjects but not violent subjects. Violent subjects demonstrated relatively greater activations in the left amygdala, pontine, and cerebellar regions compared to control subjects.
Spoont
Michele R
MR
Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, 3E/111-0, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA. michele.spoont@va.gov
Kuskowski
Michael
M
Pardo
Jose V
JV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult