Decrease In Aggressive Behavior Research Articles

Effects of cognitive training and behavior modification on aggressive behavior and sleep quality in schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is linked to a heightened risk of impulsive aggression and disturbances in sleep patterns. Cognitive and social cognitive impairments have been connected to aggression, with social cognitive deficits appearing to play a more immediate role. In this investigation, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the impact of cognitive training and sleep interventions on aggressive behavior and the quality of sleep among individuals with SCZ who were hospitalized. This study divided 80 hospitalized patients into two groups according to medical advice, namely the normal group and the study group. The control group received routine drug treatment and education; The research group implemented cognitive training and sleep intervention based on the normal group. Collect basic clinical data, aggressive behavior indicators, and sleep quality indicators. There is no difference in the basic information statistics between the two groups. Both groups can reduce aggressive behavior and improve sleep quality. In the study group, there was a notable decrease in aggressive behavior compared to the control group. Furthermore, the sleep quality in the study group exhibited significant improvement when compared to the control group. Cognitive training and sleep intervention have been proven to be effective nonpharmacological treatments, effectively reducing aggressive behavior and improving sleep quality.

Partially divided caging reduces overall aggression and anxiety which may indicate improved welfare in group housed male C57BL/6J mice

Deciding which environmental enrichment is used in mouse caging is often subjective, with cost frequently prevailing over welfare benefits, including aggression and anxiety. While many devices introduced to encourage natural behaviors and reduce aggression show mixed results, we have previously demonstrated significant reductions in aggressive behavior between group-housed male mice housed in partially divided caging. To further assess behavior, we have raised male C57BL/6J mice in either partially divided caging or in standard caging with no divider. Animal behavior was tested on rotarod, open field, novel object recognition, elevated plus maze, and Y maze. Body weights were taken weekly beginning at weaning and bite wounds were counted weekly beginning at 133 days old. Aggressive behavior was recorded weekly beginning at 133 days old. Results indicated significantly less anxiety in the elevated-plus maze, statistically fewer bite wounds, and a statistically significant decrease in aggressive behaviors of mice in partially divided caging compared to mice in standard cages. We conclude that reductions in anxiety, aggressive behavior, and bite wounds may indicate improved overall welfare for non-sibling, group housed male mice.

Token Economy to Reduce Aggressive Behavior in Adolescent with Intellectual Disabilities

Aggressive behavior is often found in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Aggressive behavior arises due to low cognitive capacity so that the ability of individuals with ID to understand situations or the environment has limitations on the other side. The process of understanding the situation and realizing how to respond is very important so that individuals can adapt well to the environment. On the other hand, realizing adaptive behavior in individuals with ID is quite difficult. This research attempts to give an overview of the token economy to reduce aggressive behavior in hitting, shouting, and countering. This study aims to look at the effectiveness of token economy in reducing aggressive behavior in adolescents with ID. The research method used was single case experimental design. Data were obtained through observation, interviews, and psychological tests. Pretest and posttest were carried out on aggressive behavior before and after the treatment. The results of the token economy treatment showed a decrease in aggressive behavior on the subject as a whole (calculated based on a behavioral checklist), both in hitting (formerly 6 to 0), shouting (formerly 9 to 0,2), and countering behavior (formerly 6 to 0.2). There was a decrease from 24 to 3 based on the CBLC score after the treatment. Thus, it can be concluded that the token economy has proven effective in reducing aggressive behavior in adolescent with intellectual disabilities.
 Keywords: aggression, intellectual disability, token economy

Effect of mineral-vitamin premix supplementation on behavioral, performance, hormonal, oxidative stress, and serum biochemical profiles on rutting male Camelus dromedarius in Egypt.

The rutting period imposes a stressful condition on male camels, which results in elevated serum cortisol levels and alterations in their sexual behavior. Therefore, the current work was carried out to investigate the effect of mineral-vitamin premix supplementation on behavior, reproductive performance, hormones, serum oxidative stress profile, and other serum biochemical parameters of Camelus dromedarius during the breeding season. Fourteen mature, fertile male Camelus dromedarius were divided into two groups, a control group (n = 7) and a mineral-vitamin premix group (n = 7). The present study lasted for 95 days during the rutting period (1st February to 5th May). Each camel in the premix group received a daily diet of 50 g of mineral-vitamin premix throughout the whole rutting period, during which the frequencies and durations of the following behaviors: maintenance, posture, aggressiveness, and sexual activity were collected every 20 min. At the end of the study, blood samples were collected. Results revealed that the premix group showed higher (P < 0.05) maintenance (feeding and rumination), standing, and overall sexual desire-related behavior frequency, besides more times (P < 0.001) for rumination, standing, walking, and lying while showing lower (P < 0.001) frequencies of overall aggressive behaviors than the control group. The serum concentration of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, cortisol, blood glucose, and urea evidenced a significant decrease in the premix group compared with the control one, while significantly elevated levels of reduced glutathione, testosterone, total antioxidant capacity, triiodothyronine, and thyroxin, total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium were recorded in the premix group in comparison with the control. It could be concluded that daily dietary supplementation of 50 g of mineral-vitamin premix to male camels during the breeding season is necessary to overcome the oxidative stress and serum cortisol concentration with a subsequent decrease in aggressive behavior and improvement to testosterone level in blood, body condition score and body weight gain.

Crianças e jovens com medida de acolhimento residencial: a importân-cia da arte e do desporto como estratégia de intervenção social

This article aims to demonstrate the contribution of art and sport as a social intervention strategy with children and teenagers in residential care. Results obtained by the D'AR-TE project, an Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, developed by the Casa de Acolhimento da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Santarém, show a decrease in aggressive behavior and an increase in self-esteem in sixteen children and teenagers, after a year of attending sports (judo) and arts (theatre, music and body expression) workshops twice a week. By analyzing the affective and behavioral dynamics of children and teenagers, it is possible to perceive the effectiveness of these practices in promoting individual and social resilience and as a consequence the reduction of aggressive behavior, enabling individuals to have a health-ier psychic (re)organization and a redefinition of concepts and attitudes

From Wish to Reality: Soteria in Regular Care-Proof of Effectiveness of the Implementation of Soteria Elements in Acute Psychiatry.

Objective: This article examines the influence of the implementation of Soteria elements on coercive measures in an acute psychiatric ward after reconstruction in 2017, thereby comparing the year 2016 to the year 2019. The special feature is that this is the only acute psychiatric ward in Hennigsdorf Hospital, connected now both spatially and therapeutically to an open ward and focusing on the treatment of patients suffering from schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Methods: The following parameters were examined: aggressive assaults, use of coercion (mechanical restraints), duration of treatment in open or locked ward, type of discharge, coercive medication, and dosage of applied antipsychotics. For this purpose, the data of all legally accommodated patients in the year 2016 (before the reconstruction) and 2019 (after the reconstruction) were statistically analyzed in a pre–post mirror quasi-experimental design.Results: In 2019, the criteria of the Soteria Fidelity Scale for a ward with Soteria elements were reached. In comparison to 2016 with a comparable care situation and a comparable patient clientele, there was now a significant decrease in aggressive behavior toward staff and fellow patients, a significantly reduced number of fixations, a significantly reduced overall duration of inpatient stay, and a significant increase in treatment time in the open area of our acute ward.Conclusion: The establishment of Soteria elements in the acute psychiatric ward leads to a verifiable less violent environment of care for severely ill patients and to a drastic reduction in coercive measures.

Designing and Testing a Developmentally Appropriate Intervention for Children in a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility.

Preadolescent children in residential care have treatment needs that are different from adolescents. An intervention was created using developmental theory to inform decisions about the timing, objectives, strategies, and context best suited to preadolescents in an intensive residential treatment center. Aggressive behavior, seclusions, and restraints data for preadolescents during a 32-month period was used in the analysis. There was a significant decrease in aggressive behavior, seclusions, and restraints for preadolescents during the periods when the developmentally appropriate intervention was used versus the times when they received same intervention as the adolescents.

Parenting behavior and growth of child conduct problems: Moderation by callous-unemotional traits.

Although positive parenting behavior is central to efficacious interventions for child conduct problems (CP), studies of youth CP have focused mostly on negative parenting behavior. That is, few studies have examined dimensions of positive parenting behavior (e.g., positive reinforcement, involvement) as independent predictors of CP and even fewer have investigated their potential moderation by callous-unemotional (CU) traits. A sample of 184 6-9 year-old children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was followed prospectively for two years. Controlling for baseline ADHD diagnostic status, initial CP, and negative parenting (i.e., corporal punishment), we examined CU traits, positive reinforcement and involvement, and their interactions as predictors of two-year change in CP. Positive reinforcement and CU traits independently predicted increased rule breaking behavior whereas parental involvement inversely predicted aggressive behavior. A significant positive reinforcement x CU traits interaction suggested that positive reinforcement predicted a decrease in aggressive behavior, but only in children with low CU traits; conversely, positively reinforcement marginally predicted increased aggressive behavior among children with high CU traits. No other significant parenting x CU traits interaction was observed. We consider these findings within a developmental psychopathology framework where interactive exchanges underlie the development of CP.

A mechanism-based group-psychotherapy approach to aggressive behaviour in borderline personality disorder: findings from a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Aggressive behaviour is a prevalent and harmful phenomenon in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, no short-term, low-cost programme exists that specifically focuses on aggression. Attuning therapy modules to pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie reactive aggression in BPD, we composed a 6 week mechanism-based anti-aggression psychotherapy (MAAP) approach for the group setting, which we tested against a non-specific supportive psychotherapy (NSSP). A cluster-randomised two-arm parallel-group phase II trial of N = 59 patients with BPD and overt aggressive behaviour was performed (German Registry for Clinical Trials, DRKS00009445). The primary outcome was the externally directed overt aggression score of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (M-OAS) post-treatment (adjusted for pre-treatment overt aggression). Secondary outcomes were M-OAS irritability, M-OAS response rate and ecological momentary assessment of anger post-treatment and at 6 month follow-up, as well as M-OAS overt aggression score at follow-up. Although no significant difference in M-OAS overt aggression between treatments was found post-treatment (adjusted difference in mean 3.49 (95% CI -5.32 to 12.31, P = 0.22), the MAAP group showed a clinically relevant decrease in aggressive behaviour of 65% on average (versus 33% in the NSSP group), with particularly strong improvement among those with the highest baseline aggression. Most notably, significant differences in reduction in overt aggression between MAAP and NSSP were found at follow-up. Patients with BPD and aggressive behaviour benefited from a short group psychotherapy, with improvements particularly visible at 6 month follow-up. Further studies are required to show whether these effects are specific to MAAP.

Evaluación de un programa piloto para desarrollar la conducta prosocial en niños de edad escolar.

El presente estudio fue un pilotaje para la adaptación del programa JUEGO, con el propósito de incrementar la conducta prosocial de los niños participantes por medio de juegos cooperativos. Se desarrolló con 37 niños con edades comprendidas entre los ocho y 10 años, mediante un diseño cuasiexperimental pre-post de un solo grupo, muestreo por conveniencia con variables cuantitativas y cualitativas. Entre los resultados se destaca que hubo un incremento reportado por los niños en la conducta prosocial y una disminución estadísticamente significativa en la conducta agresiva p= 0.024 y en la pelea p= 0.018. Se concluye que es posible incrementar la conducta prosocial y disminuir las conductas agresivas que inciden en el acoso escolar con la implementación del programa basado en juegos cooperativos.

Effectiveness of Milieu Therapy in reducing conflicts and containment rates among schizophrenia patients.

Objective. To evaluate effectiveness of Milieu Therapy in reduction of conflict and containment rates among schizophrenia patients. Methods. This study utilized quasi experimental non-equivalent control group pre-post design. One hundred schizophrenia patients admitted in acute psychiatric wards were non-randomly assigned to either of the experimental (n=50) or control group (n=50). The experimental group received both milieu therapy and routine hospital treatment. The Milieu Therapy intervention Included environmental modification and structuring ward activities, establishing effective interaction with patient, and teaching caregivers on managing conflict behavior of patient. The control group received only routine treatment in the hospital. Outcome measures on conflict and containment rates were evaluated for both the groups at baseline and at 2nd, 3rd and 15th day. The Patient-Staff Conflict Checklist Shift Report (PCC-SR) was used to collect information about rates of conflict and containment.Results.Compared with control group, the experimental group participants showed decrease in aggressive behavior, self-harm behavior and general rule breaking behavior at baseline and 2nd, 3rd and 15th day (F=4.61, p<0.004, η 2=0.04; F=11.92, p<0.001, η 2=0.11; F=6.94, p<0.001, η 2=0.06) over seven days interval. Conclusion. The present study findings provided evidence for the effectiveness of integrating Milieu Therapy in psychiatric acute wards in reducing conflict behaviors among schizophrenia patients. Milieu therapy should be considered as an integral part of psychiatric care settings in these patients.

The Effects of Practitioner-Delivered School-Based Mental Health on Aggression and Violence Victimization in Middle Schoolers

The negative consequences for victims and perpetrators of school violence are significant, multifaceted and, if left unchecked, can have personal costs that may last well into their adult lives. Universal violence preventive interventions may not be sufficiently effective in mitigating problems among middle school youth who exhibit risk of violent behavior. School-based mental health (SBMH) approaches show promise for reducing problems among the minority of youth responsible for violence perpetration, although the impact of teacher-delivered SBMH has been somewhat limited. The present study examines the impact of practitioner-delivered SBMH in middle school settings, with (a) a three-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing Expanded SBMH and Enhanced SBMH to Standard SBMH and (b) a separate quasi-experiment comparing the three SBMH arms in the RCT to a separate set of non-randomized, non-SBMH schools. SBMH schools who expanded their services saw decreases in aggressive behavior and victimization, across both study structures, that were either statistically significant, meaningful based on Cohen effect size conventions or both. These results suggest that the expansion of practitioner-delivered mental health services to youth who are at risk of violence perpetration, but would otherwise be ineligible for, or unable to afford, services achieves a significant impact on the larger school environment.

Efecto de musicoterapia sobre la inteligencia y la interacción social en mujeres privadas de libertad con trastornos psiquiátricos

Existe poca evidencia científica de musicoterapia en población privada de su libertad; incluso no hay datos de alguna intervención en mujeres privadas de su libertad con trastornos psiquiátricos. El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar el efecto de la musicoterapia en el factor general de inteligencia y en la interacción social en mujeres sentenciadas con trastornos psiquiátricos. Se evaluó el factor general de inteligencia de 13 participantes antes y después de una intervención de musicoterapia. Se analizó la frecuencia de conductas prosociales y agresivas emitidas durante la intervención (34 sesiones). Se encontró que las participantes tuvieron una mejoría en el factor general de inteligencia antes ( = 18.15, D.E. = 12.09) y después ( = 21.15, D.E. = 12.43) de la intervención, pero los resultados no fueron estadísticamente significativas de acuerdo con la prueba t para muestras relacionadas (p = 0.167). Asimismo hubo un aumento en la frecuencia de conductas prosociales y un aumento en la frecuencia de conductas prosociales y una disminución de conductas agresivas durante las sesiones. En suma, la evidencia no es contundente en la mejora del factor general de inteligencia, pero facilita la interacción social al aumentar conductas prosociales y disminuir las agresivas. Se discuten las implicaciones del estudio para futuras investigaciones.

Prospective Evaluation of Self-Reported Aggression in Transgender Persons

BackgroundAlthough research on the relation between testosterone and aggression in humans is inconclusive, guidelines (including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care, edition 7) have warned for an increase in aggression in transgender men taking testosterone treatment. AimsTo investigate the association between levels of testosterone and aggression in treatment-seeking transgender people and explore the role of mental health psychopathology (anxiety and depressive symptoms) and social support in aggression in this population. MethodsEvery transgender person invited for assessment at a national transgender health clinic in the United Kingdom during a 3-year period (2012–2015) completed self-report measures for interpersonal problems, including levels of aggression (Inventory of Interpersonal Problems [IIP-32]), symptoms of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]), social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and experiences of transphobia before and 1 year after the initiation of gender-affirming hormonal therapy. Correlations between prospective scores for the IIP-32 factor “too aggressive” and prospective levels of sex steroids, prospective psychological (HADS), and baseline psychosocial measurements were tested. OutcomesProspective scores for the factor “too aggressive” were not correlated to prospective serum testosterone levels. ResultsResults of 140 people (56 transgender men, 84 transgender women) were analyzed. A prospective increase in scores for the factor “too aggressive” of the IIP-32 in transgender men 1 year after being treated with testosterone treatment or a decrease of the IIP-32 aggression scores in transgender women 1 year after gender-affirming hormonal therapy was not found. However, a positive correlation was found between increasing HADS anxiety scores and increasing scores for the IIP-32 “too aggressive” score in the entire study population and a positive correlation with lower support from friends in transgender women. Clinical ImplicationsHormone-prescribing physicians can be reassured that the long-term administration of testosterone in transgender men does not increase aggressive behavior. Strengths and LimitationsThis is the 1st prospective study to assess the effect of gender-affirming hormonal care on aggression. Limitations included the use of different laboratories, the use of a patient-reported outcome measure, and the lack of aggression subtypes. ConclusionsTestosterone therapy was not associated with an increase in levels of aggression in transgender men or a decrease in aggressive behavior in transgender women on antiandrogen and estrogen therapy, but other psychological and/or social factors, such as anxiety levels, appear to contribute to self-reported aggression in transgender people.Defreyne J, T'Sjoen G, Bouman WP, et al. Prospective Evaluation of Self-Reported Aggression in Transgender Persons. J Sex Med 2018;15:768–776.

Partial cage division significantly reduces aggressive behavior in male laboratory mice.

Aggression in mice often results in injury leading to unplanned euthanasia or the initiation of protocols to isolate animals, thereby increasing research costs and straining resources. Here, we tested if adding a partial cage divider into existing mouse cages affected aggressive-like behavior in group-housed male mice (18 mice; 3 per cage). Mice were randomly assigned to one of two groups upon arrival to the vivarium: (1) standard cage; (2) cage with a partial cage divider. Behavioral observation over 12 hours were conducted at day one, two, and seven after receipt at the facility in order to assess aggression during the course of establishing dominance hierarchies. Observers blinded to study design and hypothesis scored each video for the number and type of aggressive behaviors, which were summed for each hour and analyzed. Results indicated a statistically significant decrease in aggressive behaviors of mice in cages with dividers compared to mice in standard cages. We conclude that cage dividers, which resemble burrows and provide access to common food/water, may promote rigorous research by reducing the number of animals used in a study and refining housing, thus, improving animal welfare.

Diuron metabolites act as endocrine disruptors and alter aggressive behavior in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Diuron and its biodegradation metabolites were recently reported to cause alterations in plasma steroid hormone concentrations with subsequent impacts on reproductive development in fish. Since steroid hormone biosynthesis is regulated through neurotransmission of the central nervous system (CNS), studies were conducted to determine whether neurotransmitters that control hormone biosynthesis could be affected after diuron and diuron metabolites treatment. As the same neurotransmitters and steroid hormones regulate behavioral outcomes, aggression was also evaluated in male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Male tilapias were exposed for 10 days to waterborne diuron and the metabolites 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA), 3,4-dichlorophenyl-N-methylurea (DCPMU), at nominal concentrations of 100 ng L−1. In contrast to Diuron, DCA and DCPMU significantly diminished plasma testosterone concentrations (39.4% and 36.8%, respectively) and reduced dopamine levels in the brain (47.1% and 44.2%, respectively). In addition, concentrations of the stress steroid, cortisol were increased after DCA (71.0%) and DCPMU (57.8-%) exposure. A significant decrease in aggressive behavior was also observed in animals treated with the metabolites DCA (50.9%) and DCPMU (68.8%). These results indicate that biotransformation of diuron to active metabolites alter signaling pathways of the CNS which may impact androgen and the stress response as well as behavior necessary for social dominance, growth, and reproduction.

Sex-specific modulation of the gut microbiome and behavior in Siberian hamsters

The gut microbiome is a diverse, host-specific, and symbiotic bacterial environment that is critical for mammalian survival and exerts a surprising yet powerful influence on brain and behavior. Gut dysbiosis has been linked to a wide range of physical and psychological disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and anxiety, as well as autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. A wealth of information on the effects of dysbiosis on anxiety and depression has been reported in laboratory model systems (e.g., germ-free mice); however, the effects of microbiome disruption on social behaviors (e.g., aggression) of non-model species that may be particularly important in understanding many aspects of physiology and behavior have yet to be fully explored. Here we assessed the sex-specific effects of a broad-spectrum antibiotic on the gut microbiome and its effects on social behaviors in male and female Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). In Experiment 1, we administered a broad-spectrum antibiotic on a short-term basis and found that antibiotic treatment altered the microbial communities in the gut in male and female hamsters. In Experiment 2, we tested the effects of single versus repeated antibiotic treatment (including a recovery phase) on behavior, and found that two, but not one, treatments caused marked decreases in aggressive behavior, but not other social behaviors, in males; aggression returned to normal levels following recovery. Antibiotic-treated females, in contrast, showed decreased aggression after a single treatment, with all other social behaviors unaffected. Unlike males, female aggression did not return to normal during either recovery period. The present findings demonstrate that modest antibiotic treatment results in marked disruption of the gut microbiome in hamsters, akin to research done in other rodent species and humans. Further, we show that treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic, which has dysbiotic effects, also has robust, sex-specific effects on aggression, a critical behavior in the survival and reproductive success of many rodent species.

Efficacy of an individualized social competence training for children with Oppositional Defiant Disorders/Conduct Disorders

Objectives: Group-based Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy of children with aggressive behavior has resulted in significant reductions of behavior problems with small to medium effect sizes. We report the efficacy of an individualized Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior. Method: A within-subject design with two phases (waiting, treatment) was chosen. Sixty boys aged 6–12 years with peer-related aggressive behavior were included. The course of the outcome measures (growth rates) during a 6-week waiting phase was compared with those in the subsequent treatment phase (24 weekly child sessions together with an average of 8 parent contacts) by multilevel modeling. Primary outcome was peer-related aggressive behavior rated by parents. Further outcome measures included parent ratings and patient self-reports of aggressive and prosocial behavior. Results: During the treatment, growth rates for all parent-rated outcome measures were significant (p < .001) and comparison with the waiting phase indicated a stronger decrease in aggressive behavior and a stronger increase in prosocial behavior. For all self-rated outcome measures, growth rates during the treatment were significant (p < .01), but comparison with the waiting phase indicated a stronger decrease only for disturbance of social interaction. Conclusions: The treatment program is an effective intervention for children with peer-related aggressive behavior.

MAOA-VNTR polymorphism modulates context-dependent dopamine release and aggressive behavior in males

A recent [18F]FDOPA-PET study reports negative correlations between dopamine synthesis rates and aggressive behavior. Since dopamine is among the substrates for monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), this investigation examines whether functional allelic variants of the MAOA tandem repeat (VNTR) promotor polymorphism, which is known to modulate aggressive behavior, influences dopamine release and aggression in response to violent visual stimuli.We selected from a genetic prescreening sample, strictly case-matched groups of 2×12 healthy male subjects with VNTRs predictive of high (MAOA-High) and low (MAOA-Low) MAOA expression. Subjects underwent pairs of PET sessions (dopamine D2/3 ligand [18F]DMFP) while viewing a movie of neutral content, versus violent content. Directly afterwards, aggressive behavior was assessed by the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP). Finally, PET data of 23 participants and behavioral data of 22 participants were analyzed due to post hoc exclusion criteria.In the genetic prescreening sample MAOA-Low carriers had significantly increased scores on the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. In the PET-study-group, aggressive behavior under the emotional neutral condition was significantly higher in the MAOA-Low group. Interestingly, the two MAOA-groups showed inverse dopaminergic and behavioral reactions to the violent movie: The MAOA-High group showed higher dopamine release and increased aggression after the violent movie; MAOA-Low subjects showed decreases in aggressive behavior and no consistent dopamine release.These results indicate a possible impact of the MAOA-promotor polymorphism on the neurobiological modulation of aggressive behavior. However, the data do not support approaches stating that MAOA-Low fosters aggression by a simple pro-dopaminergic mechanism.

Baseline omega-3 index correlates with aggressive and attention deficit disorder behaviours in adult prisoners.

BackgroundThere is emerging evidence that the supplementation of omega-3 contributes to a decrease in aggressive behaviour in prison populations. A challenge of such research is achieving statistical power against effect sizes which may be affected by the baseline omega-3 index. There are no published data on the blood omega-3 index with studies of this kind to assess the variability of the blood omega-3 index in conjunction with aggression and attention deficit assessments.ObjectiveTo determine if the variance of the omega-3 index is correlated with aggressive and attention deficit behaviour in a prison population.Design136 adult male prisoners were recruited from South Coast Correctional Centre (SCCC), NSW Australia. A 7 point categorisation was used to quantify levels of aggressive behaviour (4 weeks) from individual SCCC case notes, whereby higher scores correspond to increasingly aggressive behaviour. Study participants completed the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) and the Brown’s Attention Deficit Disorder Scales (BADDS), provided a blood sample for erythrocyte fatty acid analysis using gas chromatography and the omega-3 index was calculated.ResultsThe baseline omega-3 index ranged from 2.3% to 10.3%, indicating that some participants already had substantial omega-3 intake, however a median of 4.7% indicated a lower overall omega-3 intake than the general Australian population. Assessment of aggressive and attention deficit behaviour shows that there were negative correlations between baseline omega-3 index and baseline aggression categorisation scores (r = −0.21, P = 0.016); total AQ score (r = −0.234, P = 0.011); Anger (r = -0.222 p = 0.016); Hostility AQ (r = −0.239, P = 0.009); indirect aggression (r = −0.188 p = 0.042); total BADDS (r = −0.263, p = 0.005); Activation (r = −0.224, p = 0.016); Attention (r = −0.192, p = 0.043); Effort (r = −0.253, p = 0.007); Affect (r = −0.330, p = 0.000) and Memory (r = −0.240, p = 0.010).ConclusionsThere is a high variability in omega-3 status of a NSW prison population, and inmates with lower omega-3 index were more aggressive and had higher ADD scores.