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BRAIN MECHANISMS AND CRIME (FROM ANATOMY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - A SYSTEM OVERVIEW, 1980, BY CLEON H FOUST AND D ROBERT WEBSTER - SEE NCJ-64520)

NCJ Number
64523
Author(s)
K MOYER
Date Published
1980
Length
20 pages
Annotation
BRAIN MECHANISMS AND FUNCTIONING PROBLEMS ARE DISCUSSED AS CAUSES OF AGGRESSION; SURGICAL, DRUG, AND OTHER REMEDIES ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
AGGRESSION MAY OCCUR THROUGH LEARNED RESPONSES INVOLVING THE CEREBRAL CORTEX OR STIMULATION OF LOWER-BRAIN ANGER AND AGGRESSION NERVE CENTERS. EXPERIMENTS SHOW SPECIAL STIMULATION OF VARIOUS LOWER-BRAIN NERVE CENTERS CHANGE NORMALLY DOCILE, FRIENDLY ANIMAL OR HUMAN BEHAVIOR INTO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS MAY ALSO CAUSE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, AS BRAIN TUMORS OR EPILEPSY STIMULATE AGGRESSION NERVE CENTERS. THRESHOLDS FOR ACTIVATING AGGRESSION NERVE CENTERS VARY AND MAY BE INFLUENCED BY HEREDITY OR BLOOD CHEMISTRY. STRESS AND TENSION MAY INDUCE HORMONAL BLOOD CHANGES WHICH INDUCE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. SEX HORMONES ALSO INFLUENCE AGGRESSION, AND MALES ARE BELIEVED ESPECIALLY PRONE TO AGGRESSION THROUGH THEIR HORMONES, TESTOSTERONE. IN ADDITION, ALLERGENS MAY EFFECT AGGRESSION NERVE CENTERS BY MAKING BRAIN MEMBRANES SWELL. REMEDIES FOR LOW-BRAIN STIMULATION INDUCED AGGRESSION INCLUDE REMOVING OFFENDING NERVE CENTERS, STIMULATING AGGRESSION INHIBITORS WITHIN THE BRAIN, OR HORMONE OR DRUG THERAPY. HOWEVER, SINCE MUCH AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IS LEARNED AND INVOLVES LITTLE EMOTION, CONTROLLING INAPPROPRIATE LOWER-BRAIN STIMULATION WILL HELP ONLY A FEW INDIVIDUALS. SOCIETY ITSELF REQUIRES LARGE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES TO DECREASE AGGRESSION. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)

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