Aggression is one of the most dangerous and frightening phenomena. We hear about murder, domestic violence, war and crime every day. Of course, there are many modern social and political ways to control the level of aggression of both a person and society with the help of organizations such as the UN, peacekeeping missions, charitable organizations and foundations, as well as modern medicine and psychotherapy that can help both individuals and groups. Despite this and the fact that there are now no global armed conflicts, the issue of violence and terrible forms in which it manifests is still an acute problem. In this work, we write about an alternative direction that can help cope — the psychopharmacology of aggression. This area is currently poorly developed, but we hope that over time the situation will change. Here is an analysis of the literature on this topic.
As a result of a meta-analysis of the literature, phenomena were found in which pathological aggression occurs. From a medical point of view, according to research [1], the most reliable material for the study of aggression is people with antisocial disorder (APD-F60.2) [2].
A characteristic feature of APS is a decrease in overall cerebral blood flow, while hypoperfusion of the anterior frontal and temporal lobes. There was a significant negative correlation between the severity of APD and frontal and temporal increased perfusion. Since the frontal lobes are involved in the regulation of aggression, structural changes in them can lead to impulsive aggression [3,4,5,6]. Since it is believed that the frontal cortex is responsible for personality, will, and morality, it can be assumed that its insufficient blood circulation can weaken personal and moral control over aggression, which requires further study.
We examined studies using labeled serotonin ligand in a sample of patients with APD and a history of violent behavior. They showed a decrease in the density of serotonin receptors in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in people with ARL aged 19–24 years compared with controls. While at the age of 25–33 no changes were found. Another study showed that at the age of 34–39 years, on the contrary, there is an increase in the activity of serotonin receptors in the prefrontal cortex. The authors of the study found a correlation between a decrease in the activity of serotonin receptors at the age of 19–24 and data that at this age people more often commit aggressive acts, including criminally actions [7] for further study. Also, studies of people with APD using serotonin labeled ligands showed their deactivation in the left anteromedial orbital cortex and in the left anterior cingulate gyrus, which is usually activated in healthy people by the administration of metachlorophenylpiperazine. On the other hand, the posterior tortuous gyrus was activated in impulsive patients and deactivated in healthy ones. No group differences were found on the baseline scan. The authors interpret their results as follows: activation of the anterior cingulate gyrus and posterior orbital cortex, together with serotonergic effects, can inhibit aggressive behavior.