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Aggression and Brain Asymmetries: A Theoretical Review

NCJ Number
214278
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: May-June 2006 Pages: 283-297
Author(s)
Paloma Rohlfs; J. Martin Ramirez
Date Published
May 2006
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article reviews research findings regarding the link between brain asymmetries and aggression.
Abstract
Overall, research findings indicate a correlation between brain asymmetries and human aggression, yet much more research is necessary to discover the pathways and mechanisms underlying this correlation. The authors show how, at a general level, aggression is related to emotional processing in that it may constitute a reaction to a particular emotion, anger. The research on emotional processing is reviewed, which shows how different emotions are associated with higher levels of activities in certain parts of the brain. The research on brain asymmetries and aggression in both normal populations and within aggressive populations (psychopaths, suicidal populations) is also reviewed. This research shows how the anterior regions of the brain are specialized for the expression and experience of positive and negative emotions and for the approach and withdrawal processes associated with the expression of aggression related to anger. Increased left-prefrontal brain activity has been linked with trait and state anger in both normal and aggressive populations. Some studies have found brain asymmetries in psychopaths and suicidal individuals, providing more evidence of a correlation between brain asymmetries and aggression. This link, however, remains correlational as no causal direction has been established. Future research should probe whether there are real differences in the feelings of negative affect and positive affect between people with different skill sets or between right-handed individuals and left-handed individuals. References