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C07: Identifying mediators of threat-aggression and experimental manipulation by tDCS

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.

Contributors

Wolfgang Retz

B02: Young offenders’ self-regulation deficit as a common mechanism for aggressive behavior and psychopathology - neural mechanisms and role of adverse childhood experiences C07: Identifying mediators of threat-aggression and experimental manipulation by tDCS Principal investigator Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Dr. Wolfgang Retz is Professor of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and heads the Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy section at the Mainz University Medical Center as well as the Institute for Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry at the Saarland University in Homburg/Saar. For many years he has been scientifically working on ADHD in adults and the significance of this developmental disorder for criminal behavior across the lifespan. He has published numerous scientific papers on the neurobiological and environmental architecture of aggressive behavior as well as the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adults. As a forensic psychiatrist, he is a respected expert in criminal proceedings and is involved in the interdisciplinary training of forensic psychiatrists and psychologists.

Publications

Voice as objective biomarker of stress: association of speech features and cortisol

Michael Plichta Andreas Reif C07: Identifying mediators of threat-aggression and experimental manipulation by tDCS Negative valence system

Objective:: Cortisol is a well-established biomarker of stress, assessed through salivary or blood samples, which are intrusive and time-consuming. Speech, influenced by physiological stress responses, offers a promising non-invasive, real-time alternative for stress detection. This study examined relationships between speech features, state anger, and salivary cortisol using a validated stress-induction paradigm.