Altered Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network in Male Juvenile Violent Offenders

Abstract

Young males are often associated with more violence, leading to some serious negative consequences. However, the physiology and the neuroimaging patterns underlying juvenile violence remain unclear. Of the limited knowledge on juvenile violence, the default mode network has been known to be associated with its pathophysiology. This study aimed to investigate functional connectivity alterations of the default mode network in male juvenile violent offenders. 31 juvenile violent offenders in a high-security facility, who were convicted of aggressive behaviors by court, and 28 normal controls from a middle school were recruited as participants. They underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. And independent component analysis approaches were used to analyze their data. Compared to the normal controls, the juvenile violent offenders showed a different default mode network pattern, with the functional connectivity increased in the posterior cingulate, and decreased in the right middle temporal, left angular, right precuneus and right middle frontal cortex. Our findings revealed that the male juvenile violent offenders were associated with abnormal default mode network functional connectivity, which might be a neuroimaging basis for their tendency to violence.