Biomedical subjects

Nicole R Villemarette-Pittman

Publications and source records attributed to Nicole R Villemarette-Pittman.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

A comparison of anticonvulsants in the treatment of impulsive aggression.

This study compared the behavioral effects of 3 anticonvulsants in impulsive aggressive men. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel groups design, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 6-week treatments: phenytoin (n = 7), carbamazepine (n = 7), valproate (n = 7), or placebo (n = 8). The efficacy measure was the average aggression score, a global severity index from the Overt Aggression Scale (J. M. Silver & S. C. Yudofsky, 1991). Analysis showed a significant reduction in impulsive aggression during all 3 anticonvulsant conditions compared with placebo. However, the treatment effect during carbamazepine administration was slightly delayed compared with phenytoin and valproate. These findings suggest that increased use of anticonvulsants could make a significant impact in the control of impulsive aggression in both mental health and criminal justice settings.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and behavioral disinhibition.

Although obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is an Axis II diagnosis that is not commonly associated with behavioral disinhibition, the literature contains reports of occasional explosive aggressive outbursts. Existing explanations of OCPD etiology do not address the coexistence of compulsive and impulsive features witnessed in some subpopulations of patients. In this study, the authors present a compensatory theory of OCPD in an effort to explain clinical observations of an unexpectedly large number of OCPD diagnoses among patients clinic referred and self-referred for aggression problems.

Aggression↗

PubMed2003

Characterizing aggressive behavior.

In the research literature, aggressive behavior has traditionally been classified into two distinct subtypes, impulsive or premeditated. Impulsive aggression is defined as a hair-trigger aggressive response to provocation with loss of behavioral control. Premeditated aggression is defined as a planned or conscious aggressive act, not spontaneous or related to an agitated state. The present study outlines the development of a clinically useful self-report instrument, the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scales (IPAS), designed to characterize aggressive behavior as predominately impulsive or predominately premeditated in nature. The IPAS showed strong reliability and validity. Analysis of the IPASscores demonstrated thepresence of two types of aggressive behavior, impulsive and premeditated, in men referred for anger problems. The aggression of most individuals in the present sample was characterized as predominately impulsive in nature (90%).

Adult↗