Korean J Biol Psychiatry.  2013 Nov;20(4):129-135.

Neurobiology of Aggression

• Kim KW
• An ES
• Lee YS
• Park SC

Abstract

Aggression can be defined as 'behavior intended to harm another' which can be seen both from humans and animals. However, trying to understand aggression in a simplistic view may make it difficult to develop an integrated approach. So, we tried to explain aggression in a multidisciplinary approach, affected by various factors such as neuroanatomical structures, neurotransmitter, genes, and sex hormone. Parallel with animal models, human aggression can be understood with two phenomena, offensive aggression and defensive aggression. Neurobiological model of aggression give a chance to explain aggression with an imbalance between prefrontal regulatory influences and hyper-reactivity of the subcortical areas involved in affective evaluation, finally in an aspect of brain organization. Serotonin and GABA usually inhibit aggression and norepinephrine while glutamate and dopamine precipitate aggressive behavior. As there is no one gene which has been identified as a cause of aggression, functions between gene to gene interaction and gene to environment interaction are being magnified. Contributions of sex hormone to aggression, especially molecular biologic interaction of testosterone and regulation of estrogen receptor have been emphasized during the research on aggression. This multidisciplinary approach on aggression with types, neurochemical bases, and animal models can bring integrated interpretation on aggression.

Keyword

Aggression; Multidisciplinary; Brain organization; Neurotransmitter; Sex hormone

MeSH Terms

Aggression*
Animals
Brain
Dopamine
Estrogens
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Glutamic Acid
Humans
Models, Animal
Neurobiology*
Neurotransmitter Agents
Norepinephrine
Serotonin
Testosterone
Dopamine
Estrogens
Glutamic Acid
Neurotransmitter Agents
Norepinephrine
Serotonin
Testosterone
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid