Biology of Aggression

Unchecked aggression and violence take a significant toll on society. Even if we manage to avoid being the direct victim of a violent act, the effects of aggression and violence reach us all: We hear about the mauling of a woman by an aggressive dog, our children are bullied at school, or we deal with impulsive violence while commuting to work or attending a sporting event. Reflecting psychology in general, the dominant roles of learning and environmental influences - both social and nonsocial - have traditionally been prominent in discussions of the etiology of human aggression. Biological factors have not been considered sufficiently important to investigate in the search for ways of dealing with human aggression or violence. With recent advances in pharmacology and genetic manipulation techniques, however, new interest has developed in the biological mechanisms of both non-human and human aggression. Although aggression is certainly a complex social behavior with multiple causes, molecular biological factors should not be overlooked, as they may well lead to interventions that prevent excess aggressive behaviors. The primary goal of this book is to summarize and synthesize recent advances in the biological study of aggression. As most aggressive encounters among human and non-human animals represent a male proclivity, the research in this book describes and discusses studies using the most appropriate murine model: testosterone-dependent offensive inter-male aggression, which is typically measured in resident-intruder or isolation-induced aggression tests. The research also emphasizes various molecules that have been linked to aggression tests. The research also emphasizes various molecules that have been linked to aggression by the latest gene-targeting and pharmacological techniques. Although the evidence continues to point to androgens and serotonin (5-HT) as major hormonal and neurotransmitter factors in aggressive behavior, recent work with GABA, dopamine, vasopressin, and other factors, such as nitric oxide, has revealed significant interactions with the neural circuitry underlying aggression. This book is organized according to levels of analysis. The first section examines the genetic contributions to aggression in species ranging from crustaceans to humans. The section summarizes the involvement of various neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in aggressive behavior. The third section summarizes the influence of hormones on aggression, primarily in humans. All chapters emphasize future directions for research on aggression and reveal important domains that have received comparatively less attention in this literature. Considered together, these chapters provide up-to-date coverage of the biology of aggression by some of the leading authorities currently working in this field. Biology of Aggression will direct future research to continue the recent advances in the pharmacological and genetic approaches to understanding aggression and violence. It promises to be a valuable resource for professional and student researchers in neuroscience, psychiatry, cognitive and developmental psychology, behavioral biology, and veterinary medicine.

Table of Contents:
Section 1: Genes Chapter 1: Genetic Aspects of Aggression in Nonhuman Animals Chapter 2: Human Quantitative Genetics of Aggression Chapter 3: Crustacean Models of Aggression Section 2: Neurotransmitters Chapter 4: Brain Serotonin and Aggressive Disposition in Humans and Non-human Primates Chapter 5: Monoamines, GABA, Glutamate, and Aggression Chapter 6: Nitric Oxide and Aggression Chapter 7: Neuropeptides and Aggression Section 3 : Hormones Chapter 8: Contexts and Ethology of Vertebrate Aggression: Implications for the Evolution of Hormone Behavior Interactions Chapter 9: Androgens and Aggression Chapter 10: The Role of Estrogen Receptors in the Regulation of Aggressive Behaviors Chapter 11: Maternal Aggression Chapter 12: Stress and Aggressive Behaviors Stress 4: Development Chapter 13: Conditioned Defeat Chapter 14: Development of Aggression Chapter 15: Neurobiology of Aggression in Children Section 5 : Pharmacology and Psychophysiology Chapter 16: Drugs of Abuse and Aggression Chapter 17: Psychopharmacology of Human Aggression: Laboratory and Clinical Studies Chapter 18: Psychophysiology of Human Antisocial Behavior

Review :
"This is an extremely comprehensive overview of the biological aspects of aggression."--Doody's "This timely volume covers genetics, neurotransmitters, hormones, development, pharmacology and psychophysiology. Almost all the chapters are up to date, point out weaknesses in previous investigations and suggest future directionsa real help to the novice in this area. Of course, one principal reason that neuroscientists study aggression is to learn how to modulate it in humans and perhaps how to cope with it in other species. This book provides a good yardstick to measure where we stand in attaining those goals, while making clear that we are not yet able to predict with any useful degree of precision who will be aggressive and when they will be aggressive . . . Studying the key variables identified in this book may help reduce aggression and recidivism in the adolescent and adult violent population, as well as persistent bullying at school." --Jordan Grafman, Maren Strezniak, and Frank Krueger in Nature Neuroscience "This is an extremely comprehensive overview of the biological aspects of aggression."--Doody's "This timely volume covers genetics, neurotransmitters, hormones, development, pharmacology and psychophysiology. Almost all the chapters are up to date, point out weaknesses in previous investigations and suggest future directionsa real help to the novice in this area. Of course, one principal reason that neuroscientists study aggression is to learn how to modulate it in humans and perhaps how to cope with it in other species. This book provides a good yardstick to measure where we stand in attaining those goals, while making clear that we are not yet able to predict with any useful degree of precision who will be aggressive and when they will be aggressive . . . Studying the key variables identified in this book may help reduce aggression and recidivism in the adolescent and adult violent population, as well as persistent bullying at school." --Jordan Grafman, Maren Strezniak, and Frank Krueger in Nature Neuroscience