How sex differences affect the rewarding feel of aggression in the brain
Official title: Synaptic plasticity underlying sex differences in aggression reward
Funded at Pennsylvania State University, the · NIH-11515869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores why aggressive experiences feel more rewarding in females and how specific brain circuits and chemical signals shape this in both sexes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State University, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University Park, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,995 |
| NIH project number | 4R00MH132772-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11515869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with aggression-related behavioral issues or mental health conditions linked to aggression who could participate in future translational studies or benefit from sex-specific therapeutic approaches.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals or those not affected by aggression-related disorders may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
The project aims to uncover how aggression-related experiences alter brain circuits in a sex-specific way, focusing on the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. It will teach advanced electrophysiology skills to measure synaptic changes and examine how oxytocin may influence these changes. The research will compare male and female subjects to identify causal roles of two neural circuits in aggression reward and help lay the groundwork for future therapies in mental health. The work combines training with original experiments to build the investigator’s independent career while contributing to our understanding of aggression biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could inform more effective treatments for aggression-related mental health conditions by considering sex differences in brain circuits.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows brain circuits and neurochemical signaling influence aggression, with emerging evidence of sex differences in reward processing.
Where this research is happening
-
Pennsylvania State University, the
University Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Borland, Johnathan — Pennsylvania State University, the
- Study coordinator: Borland, Johnathan
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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.