Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

This project aims to identify cognitive and emotion control deficits in the context of negative valence and threat interference and their association with ACE in young offenders. Complementary to other projects, this project will focus on a group of young people defined by their propensity to aggression showing at the same time more severe psychopathologies. In a series of studies using multimodal imaging (EEG-fMRI, EEG-sMRI) in combination with naturalistic longitudinal follow-up (ecological momentary assessment (EMA)) B02 will identify the neural mechanisms and predictors of self-regulation deficits as a putative common developmental pathway for both, aggressive behavior, and psychopathology. Additionally, B02 will seek to causally confirm neural network mechanisms of inhibitory control and emotion regulation deficits as the basis of aggressive behavior and associated psychopathology by real-time EEG-triggered TMS-stimulation in young offenders.

Investigate context-dependent aggression triggered by frustrative non-reward or acute social threats. Using newly developed approaches, multiple behavioral domains will be assessed in a semi-naturalistic, autonomous mouse habitat. Specifically, the habitat assesses the inter-individual dynamics of social interactions, aggressions, and hierarchy and the individual reward learning and impulsivity through different integrated modules. Intermittent challenges comprise intruder aggression and frustrative non-rewards. Within this LCD, circuit mechanisms are dissected through chemogenetic interventions, in vivo recordings, and functional MRI in awake mice during task performance. This approach in the first funding period will enable us to disentangle the specific functions of candidate entry points in prefrontal to ventral striatum pathways with respect to their modulation of aggression and dominance for potential interventions.

Test the interaction of the CS and frustrative non-reward as part of the NVS. It will investigate the electrophysiological correlates of frustrative feedback in aggression-prone patients. In the aftermath of induced stress, an EEG task-battery including frustrative feedback will be applied for extraction of error-related negativity (ERN) and contingent negative variation to monitor electro-physiologic signaling of the relevant learning and frustration processes. In half of the participants, tDCS over the prefrontal cortex will be applied to enhance cognitive control, with participants being put into a stress context inducing frustration.