Does short-term inflammation increase anger and aggression?
Official title: Inflammatory Challenge in Human Aggression
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11309150 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will give a mild, short-lived immune challenge to people with and without histories of aggression to find out if inflammation makes anger and aggressive behavior worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 11, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $790,024 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH133925-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11309150 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with mood, anxiety, stress-related, or personality disorders who meet criteria for either high lifetime aggression (e.g., high LHA score and frequent anger attacks) or low lifetime aggression are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without those psychiatric diagnoses, children, pregnant people, or individuals with medical conditions that make endotoxin administration unsafe would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
You would come to Ohio State for two sessions where, in random order and without knowing which you receive, you get a low-dose endotoxin or a placebo. During and after each session you would have blood draws to measure inflammatory signals, complete self-report anger and mood questionnaires, and take part in behavioral tasks that measure aggressive responding. The study compares people who have a history of frequent aggressive episodes with similar people who have low lifetime aggression to see if the inflammatory challenge changes anger, hostile thinking, or aggressive actions more in one group. Sessions require monitoring for several hours so staff can track physical and emotional responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to inflammation as a treatable contributor to anger and aggression, guiding new therapies or prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Animal experiments and human studies linking high inflammatory markers to aggression exist, but deliberately provoking short-term inflammation to test causal effects on human aggression is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Coccaro, Emil Frank — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Coccaro, Emil Frank
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How sex differences affect the rewarding feel of aggression in the brain
This grant explores why aggressive experiences feel more rewarding in females and how specific brain circuits and chemical signals shape this in both sexes.
-
Metabolic therapy to reduce aggression and improve sociability in Alzheimer’s disease models
A ketogenic diet and adenosine biology are explored to see if they can lessen aggression and improve social behavior in models related to Alzheimer’s disease.
-
Genomic keys to juvenile aggression in kids and animals
A study using a novel animal model to uncover genomic factors that influence violent aggression in young individuals, with potential insights for understanding and preventing harmful behavior.
-
Men's drinking and sexual risk behaviors: alcohol, aggression, and emotions
A study with 21–30 year old men who drink and have condom-use challenges will look at how alcohol, aggression history, and emotions relate to risky sexual behavior.
-
Sex differences in brain circuits that control aggression
This project looks at how brain networks that drive aggressive behavior may differ between sexes, with the goal of understanding why aggression patterns differ and how they might be treated.
-
Understanding how genes and environment influence aggressive behavior in teens and young adults
A study looks at how genetic factors and experiences during childhood interact to shape aggressive behavior in adolescents and young adults, with potential implications for better treatments.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.