Relationship between attitudinal hostility and P300 latencies

Pmg.

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& Broi. Psyckrat. Copyright Printed

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Vol. 24, pp.

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ELSEVIER

1277-1288 Saence front

PII: SO27S-5846(00)00143-3

RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN ATTITUDINAL P300 LATENCIES

HOSTILITY

AND

ALYSON J. BOND AND SUSAN M. SURGUY

Section of Clinical Psychopharmacology,

Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London, UK

(Final form, October 2000)

Abstract

Bond, Alyson J. and Susan M. Surguy: Relationship between attitudinal hostility and P300 latencies. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiat 2ooo,ZL PP. 1277-1288. 02000 Elwier Science Inc

1 The purpose of the present study was to determine whether components of the P300 were related to aggression in a normal population. 2. Event-related potentials were recorded from midline sites during a standard pure tone auditory oddball task. 3. Findings indicated significantly prolonged P300 latencies to target stimuli in subjects with higher total aggression and attitudinal hostility scores on the BDHI. 4. The relationship between P300 latency and aggression extends findings in specifically aggressive populations. P300 amplitudes may only be reduced in samples displaying violent or assaultive behaviour.

Kevwords: aggression, attitudinal hostility, event-related potentials, P300

Abbreviations: Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-1 l), Buss Durkee Hostility electro-oculogram (EOG), event-related potential (ERP), reaction time (RT).

Inventory

(BDHI),

Introduction

Event-related potentials (ERPs) have been studied extensively

as a measure of brain functioning

related to cognitive and perceptual processing (Donchin, 1979). The P300 wave, in particular, is a 1277

Inc.

reserved matter

1278

useful

A.J. Bond and S.M. Surguy

way

of studying

cognitive

measure

stimulus

process

a stimulus,

lower

and Kutas,

1983)

(Hillyard

P300

evaluation

abnormalities

resource

time while

being

been

in

several

less

1993, Kutcher

et al., 1989; Pfefferbaum

et al., 1984) in which

from normal.

Attempts

made

have also been

to commit

Long latency

1988).

have

been

However,

discriminate

between

The rare stimulus P300

relationship (Kiehl

students

1999)

such

The current

(Patton

population.

et al., 1995)

associated

with P300

participant

were recorded

paradigm.

changes

et

aggressive

problems acts (Gerstle

whether

the Buss Durkee

A secondary

aggressive

from three midline

behaviour

and Stanford,

1997)

using

or acts who

and

amplitude

(Raine

non-target

oddball

alcoholics

and Hesselbrock,

components Hostility

had to

tasks

task,

stimulus. have shown The

violence.

as psychopathic with

a history

if impulsivity,

components,

populations

(Barratt

1999)

and college 1999).

to

Buss and Durkee, measured

as impulsivity

et al., 1997).

to a standard

of

in less severe

and Stanford,

(BDHI:

with P300

scalp sites, in response

P300

of the P300 wave are related

Inventory

et

and Venables,

of physical

et al., 1998; Mathias

1999).

is the oddball

It has also been confirmed

(Bauer

and

(Drake

the participants

are classified

in

differ

to psychopathy

and a frequent

Studies

et al,

1994).

violent

in which

aim was to investigate

had any relationship

and/or

to

dementia,

(McFarlane

The usual convention stimulus

et al., 1988).

to investigate

in some

task

offenders

al.,

disorder

of psychopaths

aggression

imprisoned

conduct

questionnaire,

(Mathias

stimuli.

with

(Barratt

with

aggressive

a rare target

(Branchey

study was designed

1957), in a normal

oddball

crime

habitually

20% of the trials.

in currently

to impulsive,

scores on an aggression

BIS-11

on about

impulsive

as teenagers

admitting

between

to be associated

shown or

non-target

functioning

and Siegel,

displaying

performance

cognitive

of the P300

(Mirsky

in one sample

a continuous

different

is presented

for violent

populations

as enhanced

discrimination

amplitudes

et al.,

as impulsively

used

multiple

has been

imprisonment

described

this study

which only requires

reduced

crimes

to

available

including

the latency

to link components

and aggressive

classified

stress

is considered

resources

disorders

and post-traumatic

P3OOs have been found in prisoners

al., 1988) and in subjects amplitudes

violent

efficient

clinical

depression,

of the P300

to the neural

with

schizophrenia,

with the tendency

disorder,

latency

is related

associated

reported

personality

The

the amplitude

amplitude

have

allocation.

ERPs

auditory

with the has been of each pure tone

Attitudinal

hostility and P300 latency

1279

Methods

Participants Participants

were 28 paid male volunteers from the general population aged from 18 with 45 years set as

the upper limit, because participants

characteristics

were taking medication,

or past history of psychiatric All participants

of the P300 wave change

after middle

had a history of head injury or substance

disorder,

any significant

were tested in the morning,

age.

None of the

abuse, had any current

medical history nor any hearing

3 hours after any food intake

was obtained and the study was approved by the Institutionai

disabilities.

Written informed

consent

Ethical Committee.

Stimuli The auditory randomly

oddball

presented

paradigm

with the probability

intensity of 70 dB, binaurally. 120ms, (tone envelope: microswitch

consisted

of two tones

of 0.2 and 0.8, target and non-target

The inter-stimulus

rise/plateau/fall,

of lkI-Iz and 2kHz (target)

that were

respectively,

at an

interval was 2s and each tone was presented

10ms/100ms/10ms).

with the index finger of their preferred

Participants

were required

hand when the target stimulus

for

to press a

was presented.

The mean reaction time (RT) in ms was recorded. Data Acauisition Potentials

were

recorded

with silver/silver

midline Fz, Cz and Pz sites according AZ (earlobes)

and an Fpz ground.

chloride

surface

to the International

Electra-oculogram

were kept below SWZ and approximately

was amplified

placed

lo-20 system referenced

(EOG) activity was recorded

placed above and below the left eye, to allow elimination impedances

electrodes

of eye movement

equal at all sites.

artefacts.

The amplified

to linked Al and with electrodes Inter-electrode

The electroencephalogram

50,000 times and the EOG 5,000 times with a filter bandpass

5OHz notch filter was used to eliminate mains interference.

at the standard

of 0.1 - 100 Hz and a

signals were digitized

and

sampled every 2ms, from 1OOms before the stimulus to 1 lOOms after, time locked to the stimuli. Ouestionnaires The BDI-II (Buss and Durkee, score (max=75), and attitudinal

motor aggression

1957) was used to assess trait hostility factor (assault, verbal hostility,

hostility factor (resentment

and suspicion)

and aggression.

irritability

were calculated

and indirect

The total hostility)

for each participant.

total score from the BIS-11 (Patton et al., 1995) was used to measure impulsivity

The

1280

A.J. Bond and SM. Surguy

Procedure Participants were asked to fill in the questionnaires. was to be recorded in response to different tone stimuli.

They were informed that their brain activity The electrodes were then attached and they

were seated in a chair with head supports, to avoid electromyography attenuated cubicle with low ambient light, 120cm from the monitor.

contamination,

in a sound

Prior to the test, they were given

a trial block to familiarise them with the procedure, to check the integrity of the electrophysiological signal, and to ensure they were able to hear the two tones and discriminate between them. They were instructed to place the index finger of their preferred hand over the response button and asked to respond to the rare tone only. Data Analysis

The digitized data was converted to microvolts and plotted, positive values down according to convention.

Responses to each stimulus set were averaged and responses contaminated

excluded from the averages.

The P300 was taken as the major positive peak occurring between 250

and 450ms. Latency was measured from stimulus presentation, this positive peak to the following volunteers

and so the relationship

participants was investigated

by EOG

negative

peak.

Oms, to the peak, and amplitude from

The study population

between the key variables

consisted

and the questionnaire

first using multiple linear regression analysis.

individual scores to see whether two groups could be discriminated.

of healthy scores of all

We then examined the

A median split was performed

on the BDHI total scores to produce a high and a low scoring group. Univariate ANOVAs were used to compare groups on RT and the BIS- 11. Mulivariate ANOVAs were performed on the amplitudes and latencies of the P300 wave. These analyses included a between subjects factor of group (high vs low BDHI) and within subjects factors of Condition (target vs non-target)

and Site (frontal, central

and parietal). The BIS-11 was similarly analysed as an independent measure.

Results

The characteristics of the total sample and the two groups formed by the median split are shown in Table 1. The groups did not differ on age. The scores for the BDHl and the BIS-11 are shown for the total sample and for the high and low groups.

The sample fell easily into two groups with 14

subjects scoring 32 or below and 14 subjects scoring 35 or above on the BDHl total. low aggression groups differed significantly

on the BIS-11 (F1,26 =18.65, p
The high and

Attitudinal

hostility and P300 latency

1281

Table 1 Mean Ages and Scores on Hostility and Impulsivity

for the Total Sample and for the High Scorers

(35 or above) and Low Scorers (32 or below) on the BDHI Total High Scorers (N=14) Mean SD

Low Scorers (N=14) Mean SD

Total Sample (N=28) Mean SD

Age

27

5

31

7

29

BDHI Total Motor Attitudinal

43.6 27.1 9.2

7.6 4.3 3.8

26.7 17.6 4.3

4.2 4.5 2.3

35.2 22.4 6.7

10.5 6.5 4.0

BIS-11

64.9

14.7

42.9

11.5

53.9

17.1

The mean RT, latencies and amplitudes

of the P300 to the target stimuli at each electrode

shown in Table 2. There were no significant F1,26 = 0.45; p = 0.51; BE-II:

6

differences

on RT performance

F ~6 = 0.59; p = 0.45).

site are

between groups (BDHI

There were no significant

effects on the

amplitude of the P300 between groups (BDHI: F 1.26= 0.99; p = 0.33; BIS-11: Fr,26 = 0.93; p = 0.35) between target and nontarget

stimulus conditions

(BDHI: F 1.26= 1.21; p = 0.28; BIS-11: F1,26= 1.20;

p = 0.28) between electrode

sites (BDHI: F ~6 = 1.26; p = 0.29; BIS-11: Fz,J~ = 1.26; p = 0.29) nor

any significant interactions.

Table 2 Reaction Times, Latencies and Amplitudes of P300 to Target Stimuli (Rare Tones) for the Total Sample and the High (35 or above) and Low (32 or below) Scorers on the BDHl Total

High Scorers

Low Scorers

RT

375.8

89.8

3548

74.5

365.3

Fz Latency Fz Amplitude

340.1 19.8

34.3 14.4

315.4 18.7

33.2 12.5

327.8 35.4 19.2 13.2

Cz Latency Cz Amplitude

340.5 33.8 19.7 14.2

314.3 21.6

32.3 12.3

327.4 20.7

35.1 13.1

Pz Latency Pz Amplitude

341.0 14.8

314.4 32.6 16.7 11.7

327.7 15.8

34 6 10.0

32.3 8.3

Total Sample 81.6

1282

A.J. Bond and S.M. Surguy

For the P300 latency, target

conditions

electrode

(BDHI:

sites (BDHI:

interactions. components

there were no significant

significant

in either stimulus

There was a significant

condition

Fi,s6 = 0.05; p = 0.83; BIS-11:

F2,26 = 1.34; p = 0.27; BIS-11:

No further

4.65; p < 0.04).

overall

differences

were

A representative

= 0.70; p = 0.41) or electrode

p < 0.04) but no interaction were longer at all electrode was no significant on latencies

and nonthe

F 2.26 = 1.33, p = 0.27) nor any significant for the BIS-11

between recording

the high and low aggressive from one volunteer

and any of the P300

position

position

in the high aggressive

tone condition,

nor any significant

Latency

on latency (F1,26 = for the rare tone

and stimulus

condition

The high aggressive

group in the rare tone condition

group and electrode

conditions

groups

(Fz,sz = 0.81, p = 0.45).

than the low aggressive between

between

groups

in each group

(FQC

group

had

(F1,26 = 4.87;

(F2,52 = 1.09; p = 0.34) i.e. latencies

group compared

effect of group (Fi,zh = 1.95; p = 0.17) or electrode

in the frequent

the target

condition.

difference

longer latencies

between

F 1,s~ = 0.04, p = 0.84) or between

found

is shown in Fig 1. There were no interactions

significantly

differences

position

interaction

with the low.

There

(Fz,sz = 0.67; p = 0.52)

(Fz,sz = 1.46, p = 0.24).

(ms)

Fig 1. Event related responses to target stimuli (rare tones) in one volunteer scoring low (. .) on the BDHI total score.

scoring high (-)

and one

Attitudinal hostility and P300 latency

1283

The regression analysis showed a significant relationship between total BDHI scores and the P300 latencies to rare tones at Fz (F1,26 = 3.92; p < O.OS),Cz (F1,26 = 4.62; p < 0.05) and Pz (F1,26 = 4 64; p < O.OS),(Pig 2).

.

400 -

a

0 a

z 350 E .p P 300 Y 3 250 -

150 I 15

l

0

l l

a .=

‘. .

l

0

l

.

l

t 25

35

1

t

,

45

55

65

Total BDEU Scores

Fig 2 Values for P300 latencies to rare tones at Pz plotted against BDHI total scores for all participants (N=28), with regression line.

There were also significant relationships between attitudinal hostility scores and the P300 latency. Those with higher scores had longer latencies in the rare tone condition (Fr,ac = 9.42; p = 0.005) but there was no interaction with electrode position (F2,52= 1.OO;p = 0.37). Regression analysis showed a significant relationship between attitudinal hostility scores and latencies at Fz (F1,26 = 6.16, p < 0.02), Cz (F1,26 = 6.64; p < 0.02) (Fig 3) and Pz (F1,26 = 3.96; p < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between motor aggression scores and P300 latencies (Fr.26= 1.Ol, p = 0.32) and the regression analysis showed no significant results.

1284

A.J. Bond and S.M. Surguy

450

1

0

250

200 m

0

5

10 BDHI

15

Attitudinal

Fig 3 Values for P300 latencies to rare tones at Cz plotted for all participants (N=28), with regression line

20

Scores

against

BDHI

attitudinal

hostility

scores

Discussion

The principal to rare tones

finding

and scores

of the present

study was the significant

on the BDHI.

There

relationship

were no differences

between

between

P300 latencies

the frontal,

central

and

parietal sites.

&gression

High prolonged

and P300 Parameters

scores

on the

total

P300 latencies

on the BDHI,

BDHI

and

at all 3 midline

in particular

stimuli than those with lower

resentment scores.

on the sites.

attitudinal This suggests

and suspicion, This confirms

take

findings

hostility

factor

that those longer

were

participants

to evaluate

in specifically

associated scoring

infrequent

aggressive

with higher random

populations.

Attitudinal hostility and P300 latency

Drake et al. (1988) found prolonged in violent compared

prescribed

latencies to target stimuli, using an auditory oddball paradigm,

with non-violent

prison, they were carefully medication.

inmates and controls.

screened.

Although Drake’s subjects were all in

They had no history

of head injury and were not being

They were also of a similar age to our subjects.

oddball paradigm, Mathias and Stanford (1999) found prolonged students preselected

No significant

for impulsive aggression

relationships

amplitude between impulsive

participants

compared to nonaggressive

were found between amplitudes

participants

selected

et al., 1998; Mathias

in these studies were specifically

acts or destruction for Intermittent

Explosive Disorder (DSM-IV,

extreme or psychiatrically

American Psychiatric

serious assaultive

Association,

criteria used

1995). In addition,

in study populations

may account

and found that amplitudes

The most significant

difference

between scores on the BDHI and the P300 amplitude. of psychopathology

with no

et al (I 988)

Supporting evidence comes from Branchey

disturbed group.

with severity

aggressive

by the presence of head injury in almost half the

were lower in all patients with

was found for patients who had been jailed in

the past for crimes involving physical violence and a significant

been associated

the impulsive

effects in the current study, which used a normal population

who looked at P3OOs in male alcoholics problems.

with non-aggressive

and in fact met the diagnostic

group (Gerstle et al., 1998). The difference

for the absence of amplitude

were found to have

compared

However,

in

In two recent studies,

selected as having recently displayed

in one study, the results may have been confounded

psychiatric

1999).

of property on a number of occasions

impulsive aggressive

sites, or difference

from a college student population,

and Stanford,

using a visual

students.

at the different

P300, in an auditory or visual oddball paradigm,

controls (Gerstle,

Likewise,

latencies to target letters, in college

the sites, and scores on the BDHI in the present study.

aggressive

lower amplitude

1285

negative correlation

was also found

in P300 amplitudes

have generally

Reductions or behavioural

problems.

However,

increased

P300 amplitudes have been shown in panic disorder patients (Clark et al., 1996) and in posttraumatic stress disorder patients comorbid for panic disorder (Metzger et al., 1997). This has been associated with the stimulus overreactivity

Distinction

characteristic

between Tvpes of Aggression

No relationship

was found between either the motor aggression

BDHI and the P300 in the present study. different amplitude

of this type of anxiety.

components

It may be that different forms of aggression

of the P300 wave: assaultiveness

and attitudinal

hostility

factor or the irritability scale of the

to prolonged

and irritability

latency.

More

are related to

being related

severe

populations

to reduced or those

1286

A.J. Bond and S.M. Surguy

preselected

for impulsive,

aggressive

al., 1988), even when selected Stanford,

1999)

adult normal

because

subjects,

current assaultive of our subjects impulsive

subjects

such as the present

scored

would then be likely to show both effects

one, is unlikely

in some previous

subjects

such as college

to include

(Gerstle

(Drake

(Mathias

However,

decrements. the cut-off

et and

a study in

many participants

scale of the BDHI,

studies

students

of aggression.

reveal P300 amplitude

more than 8 on the irritability

the mean amplitudes

sample

with both types

and may not therefore

groups

1999). Interestingly, in the control

they include

behaviour

aggressive

behaviour

from a high functioning

displaying In fact, none

chosen

et al., 1998; Mathias

for the

and Stanford,

to rare tones in this study were more similar to those found

of these studies.

Conclusions

Aggression, population. findings

in particular

attitudinal

The P300 was elicited extend

relationships

results

were

from

found

hostility, in response

more

with

P300

severely

appears

to be related to P300 latencies

to rare tones during aggressive

amplitudes

an auditory

populations.

because

of low

oddball

in the general task.

It is hypothesised rates

These that

of assaultiveness

no

in this

population.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful with computer

to David Allen for help with running

programming

and technical

the experiment

and to Jeff Dalton

for help

assistance.

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Inquiries

and reprint requests

should be addressed

Dr Alyson Bond Section of Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute of Psychiatry De Crespigny Park London SE5 8AF I.K Tel +44 (0)20 7848 037 1 Fax +44 (0)20 7252 543 7 E-mail a.bond(ia.iou.kcl.ac.uk

to:

potentials

and longer

P3 recovery