MAOA-L reported higher trait aggression, higher interpersonal sensitivity and showed greater dorsal anterior cingulated cortex activity (associated with rejection-related distress) in response to social exclusion [26]. If replicated by future studies, these preliminary findings suggest that the MAOA-L would confer a vulnerability to negative social experiences, including early trauma, and a specific proclivity toward reactive aggression, i.e. that type of aggression triggered by exaggerated levels of negative emotion, such as anger and anxiety.
