Aggression and Conduct Disorders

Question 1

What is aggression?

Answer 1

A display of force

Question 2

What are 2 types of aggression?

Answer 2

Reactive
Proactive

Question 3

What part of the brain is involved in negative/emotional aggression?

Answer 3

Amygdala

Question 4

What are 4 characteristics of conduct disorder?

Answer 4

Repetitive pattern of anti-social behaviour
significant impairment in the ability to function at school/social situations
violation of rules
sustained (more than 6 months)

Question 5

What 2 things lead to conduct disorder?

Answer 5

Environment
Genetics

Question 6

What system influences aggression?

Answer 6

Limbic system

Question 7

Where is the amygdala located?

Answer 7

Within the temporal lobes

Question 8

What research proves that amygdala is involved in emotion and aggression?

Answer 8

Stimulation of corticomedial amygdala increases aggression

Question 9

Where is the prefrontal cortex located?

Answer 9

Behind the forehead at the front of the brain

Question 10

What is the prefrontal’s role in aggression?

Answer 10

Regulation of correct social behavior’s
controls amygdala

Question 11

What research shows the involvement of the prefrontal cortex with aggression?

Answer 11

Damage or reduced activity causes altered emotionality, loss of control & immaturity
increased likelihood in aggression

Question 12

What are examples of environmental risks in the development model of aggression?

Answer 12

Parental smoking
abuse
inconsistent parenting
deviant peer group

Question 13

What are examples of genetic influences on the model of aggression?

Answer 13

temperament
IQ
sensitivity to punishment
empathy

Question 14

How many genes are in the nervous system?

Answer 14

14,000

Question 15

What is the chromosome short arm called?

Answer 15

p arm

Question 16

What is the chromosome long arm called?

Answer 16

q arm

Question 17

What proteins are found in DNA?

Answer 17

Histone protein

Question 18

What is a missense mutation?

Answer 18

replacement of a single nucleotide ending up with an incorrect amino acid
eg. cytosine instead of adenine

Question 19

What is a nosense mutation?

Answer 19

Cytosine replaced by thymine that signals the cell to shorten the protein
code for stop codon

Question 20

Insertion mutation?

Answer 20

Additional nucleotide changing the amino acid sequence causing framshift mutations

Question 21

Deletion mutation?

Answer 21

One nucleotide is deleted changing the amino acid sequence

Question 22

Duplication mutation?

Answer 22

Section of DNA is accidentally duplicated when a chromosome is copied

Question 23

Repeated expansion mutation?

Answer 23

Repeated trinucleotide sequence adds a series of amino acid to resulting protein
eg. Huntington’s disease

Question 24

What is COMT?

Answer 24

Enzyme that inactivates dopamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline

Question 25

What mutation in COMT can cause aggression?

Answer 25

Val/val

Question 26

What is MAOA?

Answer 26

Enzyme that regulates serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine
can cause disinhibition over impulses

Question 27

What has been shown with decreased MAOA activity?

Answer 27

Associated with conduct disorder traits

Question 28

What has been shown with high MAOA activity?

Answer 28

Protective effect against adverse life adverse

Question 29

What serotonin transporter has a role in impulsivity, antisocial and aggressive behaviours?

Answer 29

SLC6A4

Question 30

What does the shorter SLC6A4 cause?

Answer 30

Reduction of serotonin transporter & reduction in serotonin transport back into brain -> aggression and CD in children

Question 31

What are 3 other genetic markers associated with CD and aggression?

Answer 31

Dopamine transporter gene
Dopamine D4 receptor gene
single nucleotide polymoprhism