Personality Disorder Symptoms in Intermittent Explosive Disorder: A Latent Class Analysis.

Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is characterized by recurrent reactive aggression. IED is associated with significant personality pathology that is suggestive of higher levels of general personality disorder (PD). However, little is known about how personality factors impact the severity and presentation of IED. The present study employed a latent class analysis to assess for distinct PD symptom classes within IED and to evaluate whether these classes differed in terms of severity and behavioral presentation. Statistical and clinical indicators revealed a four-class model, with latent classes distinguished primarily on general levels of PD symptoms (low, moderate, high). However, the two moderate PD symptom classes were distinguished from other classes on avoidant PD. In addition, classes differed in terms of severity and presentation, suggesting important implications for both general PD and avoidant PD comorbidity within IED. Results provide further insight into the heterogeneity within IED and suggest a more nuanced approach in treating this serious condition.

Examining the relationship between subtypes of rumination and non-suicidal self-injury: A meta-analytic review.

INTRODUCTION: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a highly prevalent maladaptive behavior, often used to cope with intense negative affect. Rumination is an emotion regulation strategy that leads to fixation on and exacerbation of (typically) negative affective states. However, studies examining the relationship between rumination and NSSI have yielded mixed results, showing high degrees of heterogeneity. METHODS: The present study conducted meta-analyses (k = 50) of the association between overall rumination and NSSI, and independent meta-analyses for each of four subtypes of rumination (general, depressive, brooding, reflection rumination). Potential moderators that may influence the magnitude of these relationships were also examined. RESULTS: A small-to-moderate positive association between rumination and NSSI was found independent of rumination subtype. Moderating effects included NSSI outcome measure and study design for overall rumination and general rumination, respectively. Race was found to moderate the relationships between both brooding and depressive rumination and NSSI, though in inverse directions. An analysis of effect heterogeneity across studies suggested that undetected moderators may be present. CONCLUSION: Results of this study support the relationships between rumination subtypes and NSSI and identify factors that may impact these relationships. Continued research is needed to understand this association, particularly in more varied subtypes of rumination and cognitive-affective moderators.

Predictors of treatment outcome in cognitive behavioral therapy for intermittent explosive disorder: A preliminary analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined potential treatment outcome predictors of a multicomponent cognitive behavioral intervention for intermittent explosive disorder (IED). METHOD: The sample (n = 64; 22 female) consisted of individuals with a current diagnosis of IED that completed treatment across three study trials. Treatment outcome predictors assessed included demographic variables, psychiatric comorbidity, symptom severity, and treatment motivation/engagement. Treatment outcomes were (a) change in number of past-week aggressive acts from pretreatment to posttreatment and (b) presence of IED diagnosis at posttreatment. RESULTS: Results indicated those who endorsed lower trait anger were more likely to remit from IED diagnosis at posttreatment. No other variables were found to significantly predict treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the notion that cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective for a wide range of individuals with IED, with little variation in efficaciousness based on presence of demographic characteristics, comorbid disorders, or treatment motivation/engagement. This seems to be particularly the case for individuals with lower levels of trait anger. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A systematic review with meta-analysis of cognitive bias modification interventions for anger and aggression.

Aggression and anger are associated with interpretation and attention biases. Such biases have become treatment targets for anger and aggressive behavior in cognitive bias modification (CBM) interventions. Several studies have evaluated the efficacy of CBM for the treatment of anger and aggressive behavior, with inconsistent results. The present study meta-analytically analyzed 29 randomized controlled trial studies (N = 2334) published in EBSCOhost and PubMed between March 2013 and March 2023 assessing the efficacy of CBM for anger and/or aggression. Included studies delivered CBMs that addressed either attention biases, interpretation biases, or both. Risk of publication bias and potential moderating effects of several participant-, treatment- and study-related factors were assessed. CBM significantly outperformed control conditions in the treatment of aggression (Hedge's G = -0.23, 95% CI [-0.35, -0.11], p < .001) and anger (Hedge's G = -0.18, 95% CI [-0.28, -0.07], p = .001) independent of treatment dose, participant demographic characteristics, and study quality, though overall effects were small. Follow-up analyses demonstrated that only CBMs targeting interpretation bias were efficacious for aggression outcomes, but not when baseline aggression was accounted for. Findings suggest that CBM demonstrates efficacy for the treatment aggressive behavior and to a lesser extent, anger.

Cognition and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Exploring Relationships with Psychological Functions.

OBJECTIVE: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is strongly associated with difficulties in emotion regulation, but its relationships with maladaptive cognitive processes are less clear. METHOD: The current study examined relationships between self-reported NSSI (presence, number of methods, frequency, recency, duration, functions) and negative cognitive processes (rumination, worry, self-criticism, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness) among 1,357 undergraduates. Cognition variables were submitted to exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and relationships were examined between the resulting factors and NSSI history (among the full sample) and NSSI severity and functions (among those with a history of NSSI). RESULTS: The EFA derived two higher order cognitive factors: repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and negative self-perception (NSP). Both RNT and NSP were significantly higher among participants with than those without a history of NSSI. Among those with NSSI, NSP, but not RNT, was positively related to lifetime NSSI frequency and number of methods, as well as recency (presence in the past 12 months) and total duration (in years) of NSSI engagement. Moreover, RNT and NSP were positively associated with aggregate intrapersonal (but not interpersonal) functions of NSSI. The two cognitive factors demonstrated differential relationships with the individual intrapersonal NSSI functions. CONCLUSIONS: Higher order categories of cognitive risk factors may have unique relationships with functions and severity of NSSI, with possible implications for more targeted approaches to risk assessment and intervention.HighlightsNegative thinking and self-perception were higher in people who engage in NSSI.Negative self-perception was associated with greater NSSI severity.Negative thinking and self-perception had different relations to NSSI functions.

Selective prefrontal-amygdala circuit interactions underlie social and nonsocial valuation in rhesus macaques.

Lesion studies in macaques suggest dissociable functions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial frontal cortex (MFC), with OFC being essential for goal-directed decision making and MFC supporting social cognition. Bilateral amygdala damage results in impairments in both of these domains. There are extensive reciprocal connections between these prefrontal areas and the amygdala; however, it is not known whether the dissociable roles of OFC and MFC depend on functional interactions with the amygdala. To test this possibility, we compared the performance of male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with crossed surgical disconnection of the amygdala and either MFC (MFC x AMY, n=4) or OFC (OFC x AMY, n=4) to a group of unoperated controls (CON, n=5). All monkeys were assessed for their performance on two tasks to measure: (1) food-retrieval latencies while viewing videos of social and nonsocial stimuli in a test of social interest, and (2) object choices based on current food value using reinforcer devaluation in a test of goal-directed decision making. Compared to the CON group, the MFC x AMY group, but not the OFC x AMY group, showed significantly reduced food-retrieval latencies while viewing videos of conspecifics, indicating reduced social valuation and/or interest. By contrast, on the devaluation task, group OFC x AMY, but not group MFC x AMY, displayed deficits on object choices following changes in food value. These data indicate that the MFC and OFC must functionally interact with the amygdala to support normative social and nonsocial valuation, respectively.Significance StatementAscribing value to conspecifics (social) vs. objects (nonsocial) may be supported by distinct but overlapping brain networks. Here we test whether two nonoverlapping regions of the prefrontal cortex, the medial frontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex, must causally interact with the amygdala to sustain social valuation and goal-directed decision making, respectively. We found that these prefrontal-amygdala circuits are functionally dissociable, lending support for the idea that medial frontal and orbital frontal cortex make independent contributions to cognitive appraisals of the environment. These data provide a neural framework for distinct value assignment processes and may enhance our understanding of the cognitive deficits observed following brain injury or in the development of mental health disorders.

The effect of dialectical behavior therapy on anger and aggressive behavior: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Dysregulated anger, and its common behavioral urge, aggression, pose substantial costs to public health and society. Though some studies have shown DBT to be efficacious in treating aggression and anger dyscontrol, the overall effects of DBT on these outcomes are unknown. To address this limitation, a systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted on 34 studies (N = 2536) published in PsycINFO and PubMed between January 1994 and February 2022 assessing the effect of DBT on anger and/or aggression. Included studies were empirical research articles published in a peer-reviewed journal and assessed the delivery of DBT on quantitative outcome measures of anger or aggression. Included studies delivered the standard outpatient DBT program or DBT adapted for the population and treatment setting, though all studies included the core components of DBT. Risk of publication bias was assessed. Results demonstrated that DBT significantly reduced anger (Hedge's G = -0.21, 95% CI [-0.32, -0.11]) independent of study design and participant variables, though longer treatment duration was associated with greater reductions in anger. There was also a non-significant trend for DBT in reducing aggression (Hedge's G = -0.10, 95% CI [-0.21, 0.00]). Findings from this study suggest that DBT demonstrates efficacy in reducing dysregulated anger transdiagnostically.

A latent class analysis of intermittent explosive disorder symptoms.

Intermittent explosive disorder (IED), the sole diagnosis in the DSM-5 for which the cardinal symptom is recurrent affective aggressive outbursts, is a common and substantially impairing disorder. IED is also associated with several cognitive and affective impairments. However, little is known about the heterogeneity of the disorder and how this may correspond to aggression severity and related adverse outcomes. The current study employed a latent class analysis (LCA) among individuals diagnosed with lifetime DSM-5 IED to derive distinct subgroups that differed in the quality and/or frequency of cognitive-affective symptoms. These subgroups were then externally validated on a number of adverse outcomes. Statistical and clinical indicators supported a four-class model. Classes were distinguished mainly by the level of emotion dysregulation participants endorsed, with two moderate emotion dysregulation classes differing on their emotional information processing and impulsive tendencies. The external validation analysis revealed that classes differed in terms of various adverse outcomes (e.g., interpersonal problems, life satisfaction, suicide risk). Overall, the present study suggests distinct cognitiveaffective symptom profiles among those with IED that differ meaningfully with regard to risk for adverse outcomes. These findings provide evidence of the heterogeneity within IED and may suggest a more personalized therapeutic approach to patients with IED.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Anger and Aggressive Behavior.

Evidence is mixed regarding differences in prevalence of aggressive behavior, with many (though not all) studies suggesting that men are more aggressive than women. Furthermore, while aggression often occurs in response to provocation-induced anger, this relationship may be stronger for men; women may be more likely to engage in non-aggressive (e.g., affiliative) behaviors in response to provocation, particularly at low-level provocation. This study examined gender differences in aggression as well as differences in the relationship between anger and aggression for men and women. Adults (N = 424) participated in a behavioral aggression task, and a subset of participants (n = 304) completed a questionnaire assessing trait levels of anger as part of a larger study at a large midwestern university. Results indicated that while men and women aggressed at similar levels, aggression was significantly associated with trait anger for men only, at low levels of provocation, with only a trending relationship for high provocation. This suggests that while men and women may be equally aggressive in certain situations, this behavior may be differentially associated with anger.

Heightened Defensive Responses Following Subtotal Lesions of Macaque Orbitofrontal Cortex.

Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive attention to threat. Several brain areas, including the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), have been associated with threat processing, with more recent work implicating specialized roles for the medial and lateral subregions of the OFC in mediating specific symptoms of anxiety disorders. Virtually no causal work, however, has evaluated the role of these OFC subregions in regulating behavioral responses under threat. To address this gap, we compared male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with bilateral excitotoxic lesions restricted to either the lateral OFC (lOFC), targeting Walker's areas 11 and 13, or the medial OFC (mOFC), targeting Walker's area 14, to a group of unoperated controls on behavioral responses to the presentation of a fake rubber snake, fake spider, and neutral stimuli. Both lesion groups showed heightened defensive and reduced approach responses, accompanied by longer latencies to retrieve a food reward, in the presence of the threatening stimuli. Compared to unoperated controls, the mOFC lesion group also showed longer latencies to reach for rewards and a greater proportion of defensive responses (e.g., piloerection) in the presence of neutral stimuli. Thus, monkeys with mOFC lesions displayed a greater tendency to express defensive responses even in the absence of threat. Overall, our data reveal that both the mOFC and lOFC contribute to the attenuation of defensive responses. Notably, these findings, obtained following selective, excitotoxic lesions of the OFC, are diametrically opposed to the effects of aspiration lesions of OFC observed in macaques.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Engaging in adaptive defensive responses under threat promotes biological fitness. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been implicated in regulating defensive responses to threat, with distinct subregions likely playing different roles. Here we tested the effects of excitotoxic damage restricted to either the lateral or medial subdivisions of the OFC in rhesus macaques. We found significantly heightened defense and reduced approach responses to threatening stimuli in both lesion groups. While lateral OFC lesions led to an increase in defense responses to the threatening stimuli, medial OFC lesions produced increases in defense responses to both threatening and neutral stimuli. Our findings provide insights into the neural regulation of defensive responses to threat and inform the etiology and treatment of anxiety disorders in humans.