Investigating psychological and neural correlates of intimate partner violence

Investigating psychological and neural correlates of intimate partner violence - TRR379-B04

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00035029

Enrollment

240

Registered

2024-11-13

Start date

2025-01-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-08-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

All kinds of mental disorders according to DSM-5/ICD-11 except dementias, i.e. including substance use disorders, psychotic disorders, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, ASPD, BPD, CD, ODD, ADHD, ASD

Interventions

Group 1: Patient-Sibling Pairs 80 people will be included, divided into 40 pairs. There will be 40 patients with a mental disorder and one sibling each. All participants will be between the ages of

Gabrys et al., 2018), emotion regulation is measured with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS

Brown et al., 1999

Gratz & Roemer, 2004

Gutzweiler & In-Albon, 2019), and aggressive behavior is assessed with the OAS-M (Coccaro, 1991). In addition, the quality of the

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 40 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Undoubted understanding of the study information Voluntary signing of the informed consent form Patient group: persons with mental disorders according to the DSM-5/ICD-11 criteria, including substance use disorders, psychoses, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, ASPD, BPD, CD, ODD, ADHD, ASD Siblings: age difference not more than 5 years

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Significant cognitive limitations language problems that interfere with understanding the study procedure. Inability to comply with the study protocol severe somatic or neurological diseases such as encephalitis or hormonal tumors or dementia MRI-specific exclusion criteria: Claustrophobia and contraindications (e.g. metal implants)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
The primary objective of this study is to compare aggressive responses, co-regulation strategies (behavioral adaptation to decrease aggression), and brain activity between sibling-patient and patient-stranger dyads in a transdiagnostic sample of patients with varying levels of aggression and cognitive control. The primary outcomes include: Behavioral outcomes: - the extent of co-regulation, aggression, and verbal blaming depending on levels of cognitive control. - the expression of aggression and verbal blaming under provocation and time pressure, and how these dynamics change based on the relationship status (sibling vs. stranger) between participants. fMRI outcomes: - brain synchrony between participants during high-demand tasks, and how it relates to the co-regulation abilities and relationship status of the dyads. - the correlation between resting-state network activity and personality similarities, as well as how these are influenced by the relationship status of the dyad. - the relationship between cognitive control (as measured by the Self-Regulation Questionnaire, SRQ) and activation of the cognitive control network (FPN, DAN, VAN) and its connectivity with limbic regions. Heart rate outcomes: - the influence of heart rate variability synchrony between participants on aggression, verbal blaming, and task performance. - the relationship between subjective stress reported during follow-up assessments and heart rate variability during tasks. Electrodermal activity: Electrodermal activity (EDA) analyses are employed to measure physiological responses associated with aggression and frustration. EDA provides insights into the autonomic arousal that accompanies these emotional states by recording changes in skin conductance. During interactions, we expect the EDA from both participants to positively correlate with aggressive and frustrating stimuli. EMA (Ecological Momentary Assessment): - the correlation between the frequency and intensity of conflicts and co	—

Measure

Time frame

The primary objective of this study is to compare aggressive responses, co-regulation strategies (behavioral adaptation to decrease aggression), and brain activity between sibling-patient and patient-stranger dyads in a transdiagnostic sample of patients with varying levels of aggression and cognitive control. The primary outcomes include: Behavioral outcomes: - the extent of co-regulation, aggression, and verbal blaming depending on levels of cognitive control. - the expression of aggression and verbal blaming under provocation and time pressure, and how these dynamics change based on the relationship status (sibling vs. stranger) between participants. fMRI outcomes: - brain synchrony between participants during high-demand tasks, and how it relates to the co-regulation abilities and relationship status of the dyads. - the correlation between resting-state network activity and personality similarities, as well as how these are influenced by the relationship status of the dyad. - the relationship between cognitive control (as measured by the Self-Regulation Questionnaire, SRQ) and activation of the cognitive control network (FPN, DAN, VAN) and its connectivity with limbic regions. Heart rate outcomes: - the influence of heart rate variability synchrony between participants on aggression, verbal blaming, and task performance. - the relationship between subjective stress reported during follow-up assessments and heart rate variability during tasks. Electrodermal activity: Electrodermal activity (EDA) analyses are employed to measure physiological responses associated with aggression and frustration. EDA provides insights into the autonomic arousal that accompanies these emotional states by recording changes in skin conductance. During interactions, we expect the EDA from both participants to positively correlate with aggressive and frustrating stimuli. EMA (Ecological Momentary Assessment): - the correlation between the frequency and intensity of conflicts and co

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
The secondary endpoints further investigate the psychological, behavioral, and physiological aspects influencing aggression and co-regulation. These include: - cognitive control, measured by the SRQ, and its impact on task performance and aggression regulation - relationship dynamics and their role in aggression modulation, measured by the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (ASRQ). - emotional and behavioral responses tracked through Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA) over a 7-day and 6-month follow-up period, covering anger, impulsivity, and aggression in real-world contexts. - neuroimaging data from fMRI scans, focusing on cognitive control networks and limbic system interaction during tasks. - heart rate variability (RMSSD) as an indicator of physiological regulation during tasks and its association with long-term stress.	—

Measure

Time frame

The secondary endpoints further investigate the psychological, behavioral, and physiological aspects influencing aggression and co-regulation. These include: - cognitive control, measured by the SRQ, and its impact on task performance and aggression regulation - relationship dynamics and their role in aggression modulation, measured by the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (ASRQ). - emotional and behavioral responses tracked through Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA) over a 7-day and 6-month follow-up period, covering anger, impulsivity, and aggression in real-world contexts. - neuroimaging data from fMRI scans, focusing on cognitive control networks and limbic system interaction during tasks. - heart rate variability (RMSSD) as an indicator of physiological regulation during tasks and its association with long-term stress.

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Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactJulia Schräder

RWTH Aachen Universität

jschraeder@ukaachen.de+492418085333

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Aug 9, 2026