Development of radical therapy targeting prefrontal cortex for impulsive aggression in childhood stressed rats

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07557
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52030:Psychiatry-related
• Research Institution: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: ICHISAKA Satoshi 鳥取大学, 医学部, 助教 (50359874)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 児童虐待 / 攻撃 / 眼窩前頭皮質 / 根治療法 / ストレス / 発達 / 前頭前野 / 戦争

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to solve the problem of inappropriate aggression such as war, violent crime, bullying, and child abuse, male rats exposed to short-term stress during childhood exhibited inappropriate impulsive aggression after development as a unique model animal for child abuse. We attempted to elucidate the mechanism of increased aggression and develop a radical treatment. As for the mechanism, it is unlikely that anxiety, depression, stress hormones, brain atrophy, neural activity abnormalities, and gender differences in orbitofrontal cortex size are the causes (the possibility of neural circuit abnormalities remains). Post-mature stress load showed PTSD symptoms but no significant increase in aggression, suggesting the importance of childhood experiences. As a treatment, it was clarified that long-term breeding in enriched environment that strengthens serotonin action improves the aggression.

Free Research Field

脳科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人への不適切な攻撃性は、戦争、凶悪犯罪、いじめ、児童虐待、DV、ストーカー、ハラスメント、危険運転等の問題を生じる。児童虐待が原因となり、不適切な攻撃性を示し、男性に多い精神疾患である反社会性・自己愛性パーソナリティ障害（サイコパスやソシオパスを含む）の妥当性の高いモデル動物と治療法の開発は精神医学や脳科学をはじめ社会的にも意義がある。社会的に成功しているCEOや政治家に多いサクセスフル・サイコパスでは脳萎縮がみられないことから、脳萎縮を示さず、オスで攻撃性の高い独自の児童虐待モデルがその動物モデルである可能性があり、メカニズムの解明や根治療法の検討に有用で研究を進めることができる意義は高い。