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PubMed1997

Expressive communicative ability, symptoms of mental illness and aggressive behavior.

The role of expressive communicative ability and level of mental illness symptoms in predicting aggressive behavior was explored in 67 adults with mental retardation. Overall rates of aggression were low with dangerous aggression more the exception than the rule. However, a subset of aggressive behaviors appeared to exist as a continuing risk for injury to others. Both expressive communicative ability and level of mental illness symptoms were strong predictors of aggressive behavior. In combination, high mental health symptoms and low expressive communicative ability were associated with the greatest prevalence of aggression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Clinical predictors of aggressive behaviour in Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the level and clinical correlates of aggressive behaviour in Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHOD: Seventy patients with probable AD were rated using validated assessment instruments including the Rating Scale for Aggressive Behaviour in the Elderly (RAGE). RESULTS: Thirty-one subjects were rated as at least mildly aggressive during the 3-day period prior to assessment. RAGE scores correlated significantly with delusions and activity disturbance scores. Aggressive behaviour was not associated with age, sex, dementia severity, hallucinations or depression. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive behaviour occurs frequently in patients with AD. Our results confirm the findings of previous studies that the presence of delusions increases the risk of aggression in this population.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Longitudinal predictors of non-aggressive agitated behaviors in the elderly.

Longitudinal predictors of physically and verbally non-aggressive inappropriate behaviors were examined in 200 community-dwelling elderly persons attending senior day care centers. Models based on ratings obtained from staff members and family caregivers were compared. Multiple factors contributed simultaneously to the prediction of non-aggressive behaviors. Similar to previous cross-sectional results, physically non-aggressive behaviors were predicted mainly by good health and cognitive impairment. In addition, depression emerged consistently as a predictor of physically non-aggressive behaviors in all models. Verbally non-aggressive behaviors were predicted by depressed affect and pain, confirming previous suggestions that these behaviors are related to discomfort. The relationship of these behaviors with cognitive functioning was relatively weak. Understanding the etiologies of non-aggressive problem behaviors can aid in developing appropriate care for this population.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Typology of human aggression and its biological control.

Human aggression is considered a global public health problem with a tremendous impact on the victims. Scientists studying this behaviour can contribute to reducing this worldwide problem by identifying its causes and designing preventive interventions and treatment. Those working on its biological bases need to establish which types of human aggression may be candidates for a biological intervention, which makes it necessary to develop a typology of this behaviour. Considering the primary goal that guides the perpetrator to behave aggressively, a distinction is made between impulsive and premeditated types. However, to control aggression, the distinction should be made between individuals instead of acts of aggression. Thus, research is being conducted to find biological markers that could identify those individuals who are at risk of behaving aggressively and in which way. The information obtained from biological studies should form a whole with that proceeding from other disciplines, such as psychology and sociology, in order to build a complete multidisciplinary picture of specific subtypes of offenders. Finally, this knowledge needs to be conveyed to policymakers, practitioners and the public in general so as to work together to develop effective strategies to address this human problem.

Aggression↗
PubMed1977

The aggressive characteristics of abused and neglected children.

Awareness of child abuse as a serious social problem has risen sharply in recent years, yet there has been only limited and inadequate research on the abused child's growth and development. This study investigated the aggressive characteristics of young abused children with those of nonabused-neglected and normal children, a comparison not previously made. Results indicated that abused children exhibited significantly more aggression than the nonabused-negected and normal children on TAT stories and in a free play environment. Both the abused and the nonabused-neglected groups demonstrated significantly more aggression in a school setting than did normals. The findings lend empirical verification to previous descriptions of abused children as overly aggressive and support the social learning formulation that children exposed to aggressive parental models will demonstrate aggressive characteristics outside the home. The data are also consistent with prior research that links physical punishment in the home with hyperaggressiveness in children. The need for early identification and treatment of abused children is discussed.

Aggression↗
PubMed1992

The aggression response and the Rorschach.

We propose the addition of four aggressive indices for Rorschach scoring: aggressive content, aggressive potential, aggressive past, and sado-masochism scores. Interrater agreement is presented and ranges from 92-100%. Nomothetic comparisons are made between groups with higher base rates for violence with mixed results, although the sado-masochism frequency was significantly higher in severe psychopaths than in moderate psychopaths. Idiographic use of the aggression indices is emphasized, with a particular focus upon inferring the quality, intensity, and directionality of intrapsychic aggression in relation to self and object representations.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of aggression and psychosis in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Aggression, agitation or psychosis occur in the majority of people with dementia at some point in the illness. There have been a number of trials of atypical antipsychotics to treat these symptoms over the last five years, and a systematic review is needed to evaluate the evidence in a balanced way. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether evidence supports the use of atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of aggression, agitation and psychosis in people with Alzheimer's disease. SEARCH STRATEGY: The trials were identified from a last updated search of the Specialized Register of the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group on 7 December 2004 using the terms olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, clozapine, amisulpride, sertindole, zotepine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone. This Register contains articles from all major healthcare databases and many ongoing trials databases and is updated regularly. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised, placebo-controlled trials, with concealed allocation, where dementia and psychosis and/or aggression were assessed. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: 1. Two reviewers extracted data from included trials2. Data were pooled where possible, and analysed using appropriate statistical methods3. Analysis included patients treated with an atypical antipsychotic, compared with placebo MAIN RESULTS: Sixteen placebo controlled trials have been completed with atypical antipsychotics although only nine had sufficient data to contribute to a meta-analysis and only five have been published in full in peer reviewed journals. No trials of amisulpiride, sertindole or zotepine were identified which met the criteria for inclusion. The included trials led to the following results:1. There was a significant improvement in aggression with risperidone and olanzapine treatment compared to placebo.2. There was a significant improvement in psychosis amongst risperidone treated patients.3. Risperidone and olanzpaine treated patients had a significantly higher incidence of serious adverse cerebrovascular events (including stroke), extra-pyramidal side effects and other important adverse outcomes.4. There was a significant increase in drop-outs in risperidone (2 mg) and olanzapine (5-10 mg) treated patients.5. The data were insufficient to examine impact upon cognitive function. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that risperidone and olanzapine are useful in reducing aggression and risperidone reduces psychosis, but both are associated with serious adverse cerebrovascular events and extra-pyramidal symptoms. Despite the modest efficacy, the significant increase in adverse events confirms that neither risperidone nor olanzapine should be used routinely to treat dementia patients with aggression or psychosis unless there is marked risk or severe distress. Although insufficient data were available from the considered trials, a meta-analysis of seventeen placebo controlled trials of atypical neuroleptics for the treatment of behavioural symptoms in people with dementia conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (using data not in the public domain) suggested a significant increase in mortality (OR 1.7).

Aggression↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluctuating asymmetry predicts human reactive aggression.

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents non-directional deviations from perfect symmetry in morphological characters. Prenatal stressors contribute to the imprecise expression of symmetrical phenotypes and display of agonistic behavior in children and adults. Because prenatal stress affects neurological function and overt behavior, and FA is often used as a marker for prenatal stress, we hypothesized that high FA would be associated with elevated levels of human reactive aggression. Data were collected from 100 males and females (average age = 20.1) on FA of 11 bilateral traits (second, third, fourth, and fifth digit length, palm height, wrist diameter, elbow width, ear height, ear width, foot breadth, and ankle circumference). Additional relationships were also investigated among FA, testosterone (T), and type of provocation to test a comprehensive aggression model. Experimental participants solicited donations for a fictitious charity organization via telephone and selected follow-up letters after the calls. High FA and T values were independently associated with elevated reactive aggression (force of terminating the call) under low provocation in males, and under high provocation in females. In the absence of phenotypical markers, i.e., FA and T, sex differences in response to provocation disappeared and a "passive-aggressive" response emerged. Both males and females selected hostile follow-up letters, but showed low reactive aggression when terminating the call under high provocation. This pattern was reversed under low provocation. Taken together, these data suggest that individuals' phenotype and intensity of provocation are important determinants of individual and sex differences in aggression.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Counter aggression and reconciliation in Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis).

Patterns of aggressive and affiliative behavior, such as counter aggression and reconciliation, are said to covary in the genus Macaca; this is referred to as the systematic variation hypothesis. These behavior patterns constitute a species dominance style. Van Schaik's [1989] socioecological model explains dominance style in macaques in terms of within- and between-group contest competition. Dominance style is also said to correlate with phylogeny in macaques. The present study was undertaken to examine phylogenetic and socioecological explanations of dominance style, as well as the systematic variation hypothesis. We collected data on counter aggression and reconciliation from a habituated group of Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) at the Tukeswari Temple in Assam, India. The proportion of agonistic episodes that involved counter aggression was relatively low. Counter aggression, however, occurred more often among males than among females, and it was most common when females initiated aggression against males. The conciliatory tendency for this group of Assamese macaques was 11.2%. The frequency of reconciliation was low for fights among males and for fights among females, but reconciliation was particularly rare for opposite-sexed opponents. Female social relationships were consistent with the systematic variation hypothesis, and suggest a despotic dominance style. A despotic dominance style in Assamese macaques weakens the correlation between dominance style and phylogeny in macaques, but it is not inconsistent with the socioecological model. Male-female relationships were not well explained by the despotic-egalitarian framework, and males may well have more tolerant social relationships than do females. Sex differences need to be considered when categorizing species according to dominance style.

Aggression↗
PubMed2003

The antecedents of aggressive behavior among men with schizophrenia: a prospective investigation of patients in community treatment.

The association between psychotic symptoms and violence is unclear, due in part to methodological features of investigations that have examined this question, and in part to the fact that the association likely differs by disorder and treatment conditions. Using data from The Comparative Study of the Prevention of Crime and Violence by Mentally Ill Persons, we examined 128 men with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder discharged from general and forensic psychiatric hospitals in Canada, Finland, Germany, and Sweden. The association between symptoms and aggressive behavior was studied during two 6 month periods when the patients lived in the community. Severe positive and negative symptoms of psychosis, depression, and anxiety were measured at the beginning of each of the 6 month periods. In addition, at the beginning of the second 6 month period changes in symptoms in the previous period were indexed. Aggressive behavior was measured in each 6 month period by reports from patients and from collaterals. During the first 6 months post-discharge, after controlling for the presence of antisocial personality disorder or PCL score and past diagnoses of alcohol/drug abuse/dependence, the presence of a severe positive symptom significantly increased the risk of aggressive behavior. During the second 6 month period, after controlling for antisocial personality disorder or PCL score and self-reported alcohol/drug use, the presence of a severe positive symptom, a TCO symptom, and an increase in TCO symptoms significantly increased the risk of aggressive behavior. Neither depot medications nor obligatory community treatment reduced the risk of aggressive behavior after controlling for the presence of a severe positive symptom and/or TCO symptoms. These findings suggest that, among men with schizophrenia being treated in the community, the presence of severe psychotic symptoms and the development of TCO symptoms are antecedents of aggressive behavior.

Aggression↗
PubMed2003

Impulsive versus premeditated aggression: implications for mens rea decisions.

Science can provide more information about the nature of aggressive acts, and therefore the mens rea of criminal offenses, than is commonly assumed. For example, progress has been made in classifying aggression as impulsive or premeditated within the context of the role of conscious experience in controlling behavior. This review of the status of the scientific ability to distinguish conscious from unconscious acts and more specifically impulsive from premeditated aggressive acts is organized around four themes: (i) How is aggression defined and measured in general? (ii) How does the distinction between impulsive and premeditated aggression relate to the legal concept of mens rea? (iii) How do various scientific disciplines contribute to the mind/body discourse? (iv) What risk factors are associated with impulsive and premeditated aggression respectively? The authors conclude that the most promising approach to researching the nature of behavioral intention and motivation is to apply a discipline neutral model that integrates the data from multiple disciplines, collectively designated the cognitive neurosciences.

Aggression↗
PubMed1975

Effect of mother on the development of aggressive behavior in rats.

Young rats 23 days of age (Wistar strain) that are offspring of aggressive parents will attack mice. They kill them, however, only if the mother has already killed mice in their presence. Rats 30 days of age will kill mice spontaneously without any previous exposure to killing. The occurrence of muricide activity in young rats of this age is the same as in the adult population. If offspring of aggressive parents are reared by nonaggressive foster mothers from birth, they will not exhibit the muricide reaction at 30 days. In adulthood, however, the reaction appears to the same extent as in the offspring of aggressive parents reared by aggressive mothers. If the descendants of nonaggressive parents are reared by aggressive foster mothers from birth, 64.7% of them will kill mice at the age of 30 days. This aggression is retained in equal intensity during adulthood and cannot be attributed to specific learning in that the mothers have never encountered a mouse in the presence of their foster young.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Verbal and physical aggression in World War II former prisoners of war: role of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

This study examined the relationship among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and intimate partner relationship aggression in a community sample of World War II (WWII) male military former prisoners of war (POWs). Sixty percent of these POWs reported verbal aggression in their marriages, and 12% endorsed physical aggression. Both verbal and physical aggression were significantly correlated to the severity of captivity trauma and to PTSD symptoms. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between severity of trauma and both verbal and physical aggression. Depression was a significant moderator of the relationship between PTSD and both physical and verbal aggression. Theoretical and clinical implications are suggested.

Aggression↗
PubMed1991

Aggressive behavior in cognitively impaired nursing home residents.

Aggressive behavior was documented in a sample of 124 residents on units for the cognitively impaired in four nursing homes over a period of 7 days using the Ryden Aggression Scale. Some form of aggression was found in 86.3% of the residents, with no differences among facility, gender or diagnostic group. Neither mental status nor physical dependency was associated with aggression. The 68.5% who received psychotropic drugs had significantly higher aggression scores. Most incidents of aggression involved response to invasion of personal space and occurred during the day shift.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Testosterone and year-round territorial aggression in a tropical bird.

Testosterone (T) regulates avian behaviors such as song and aggression during the breeding season. However, the role of T in year-round territorial birds is still enigmatic, especially in tropical birds. Spotted antbirds (Hylophylax n. naevioides) defend territories in the Panamanian rainforest year-round but have low plasma T levels (0.1-0.2 ng/ml), except during brief periods of social challenges. We manipulated T action in captive male Spotted antbirds to test whether this hormone is involved in the regulation of song and aggression. T-implants increased plasma androgen levels (T and dihydrotestosterone) and enhanced song in nonbreeding males. During a staged male-male encounter, T-implanted males sang more and were more aggressive than controls. In a second experiment, we blocked the two known T actions: its binding to androgen receptors and its conversion into estradiol by the enzyme aromatase. For this, we administered the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide (Flut) in combination with the aromatase inhibitor 1-4-6 androstatrien-3, 17-dione (ATD) to birds in breeding condition. ATD + Flut treatment significantly elevated plasma levels of luteinizing hormone, presumably via the lack of T feedback from its receptors. ATD + Flut-treated birds gave fewer spontaneous songs than control-implanted males. During staged male-male encounters, ATD + Flut-treated males did not sing at all and showed reduced aggressive behavior. Our data indicate that T can regulate aggressive behavior in these tropical birds. Although plasma T levels can be low year-round, Spotted antbirds may use T either by secreting it briefly during social challenges, by having a high sensitivity to T action, or by enzymatically converting circulating T precursors directly at the site of action. We hypothesize that plasma T levels are kept low in these year-round territorial birds to avoid potentially detrimental effects of tonically elevated T. Future treatment of nonbreeding birds with ATD + Flut will reveal whether T is indeed involved year-round in regulating aggressive behavior.

Aggression↗
PubMed1998

Growth hormone increases aggressive behavior in juvenile rainbow trout.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of growth hormone in social interactions in juvenile salmonids. Growth hormone increases the metabolic demands and feeding motivation in teleost fish. As a consequence, growth hormone may increase aggression levels and/or fighting ability. To test these hypotheses we observed agonistic behavior in pairs of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) consisting of two control fish (C/C pairs), two growth hormone-treated fish (GH/GH pairs), or one growth hormone-treated and one control fish (C/GH pairs). The initiator and the winner of each act of aggression were registered. Aggression was lowest in the C/C pairs, intermediate in the C/GH pairs, and highest in the GH/GH pairs, with the difference between the C/C pairs and the GH/GH pairs being significant. This supports the hypothesis that GH increases aggression levels. However, in the C/GH pairs, the number of conflicts won by GH-treated and control fish did not differ significantly. Thus, because social status was not increased, GH did not appear to affect fighting ability. We suggest that growth hormone affects aggression indirectly by increasing the swimming activity, and/or by inducing defense of a larger territory, thereby increasing the encounter rate between opponents. Since increased aggression can incur energetic and mortality costs, there may be selection against high GH levels in natural populations.

Aggression↗
PubMed2000

Visible sympathetic activity as a social signal in Anolis carolinensis: changes in aggression and plasma catecholamines.

Darkening of postorbital skin in Anolis carolinensis occurs during stressful situations and is stimulated by sympathetic activation of beta(2)-adrenergic receptors via adrenal catecholamines. This eyespot forms more rapidly in dominant males during social interaction. Eyespot darkening (green to black) appears to function as a social signal communicating sympathetic activation and limiting aggressive interaction. To assess the value of the eyespot as a social signal, males were painted postorbitally with green, black, or red paint. Each male was exposed to a mirror following acclimation to the cage. The total number of aggressive displays toward the mirror image was greatest when eyespots were masked by green paint. In contrast, black or red artificial eyespots, regardless of size, inhibited biting behavior toward the mirror image. The most aggressive males, those who saw a reflected opponent with no eyespot (hidden with green paint), had significantly higher levels of all plasma catecholamines. These results suggest that A. carolinensis use information from the eyespot to assess their opponent's readiness to fight and thereby determine whether to be aggressive. Darkened eyespots are capable of inhibiting aggression, whereas aggressive displays from an opponent in the mirror without darkened eyespots do not. Darkened eyespots reflect rapid changes in plasma NE, DA, and Epi that may signal dominant social status.

Aggression↗
PubMed2001

Aggression in male rats receiving anabolic androgenic steroids: effects of social and environmental provocation.

This study examined the effects of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) on aggression under different social and environmental conditions. Three AAS were tested in gonadally intact male rats: testosterone propionate (TP), nandrolone (ND), and stanozolol (ST). Doses of 5 mg/kg were given 5 times/week, with gonadally intact controls receiving vehicle only (propylene glycol). Animals received six weekly tests under each condition in a counterbalanced order. Results show that the three AAS differed in their ability to elicit aggression. Males receiving TP were more aggressive than controls, ND males were similar to controls, and ST males were less aggressive than controls. In the social and environmental provocation tests TP-treated males were more aggressive than other groups, but were able to discriminate between intact and castrated opponents and between their home cage and a neutral cage. In the environmental provocation test, TP males were also more aggressive against opponents when tested in the opponent's home cage. It is suggested that chronic exposure to high levels of TP does not eliminate the ability to discriminate between social or environmental cues, as might be expected if it induces a " 'roid rage." However, TP does increase the likelihood that the animal will respond with aggression/dominance in a provoking situation. All three AAS variably affected serum testosterone and LH levels, as well as testes, seminal vesicle, and prostate weights. No effect on body weight was observed.

Aggression↗