Aggression and Conduct Disorders Flashcards
What is aggression?
A display of force
What are 2 types of aggression?
Reactive
Proactive
What part of the brain is involved in negative/emotional aggression?
Amygdala
What are 4 characteristics of conduct disorder?
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)
What 2 things lead to conduct disorder?
Environment
Genetics
What system influences aggression?
Limbic system
Where is the amygdala located?
Within the temporal lobes
What research proves that amygdala is involved in emotion and aggression?
Stimulation of corticomedial amygdala increases aggression
Where is the prefrontal cortex located?
Behind the forehead at the front of the brain
What is the prefrontal’s role in aggression?
Regulation of correct social behavior’s
controls amygdala
What research shows the involvement of the prefrontal cortex with aggression?
Damage or reduced activity causes altered emotionality, loss of control & immaturity
increased likelihood in aggression
What are examples of environmental risks in the development model of aggression?
Parental smoking
abuse
inconsistent parenting
deviant peer group
What are examples of genetic influences on the model of aggression?
temperament
IQ
sensitivity to punishment
empathy
How many genes are in the nervous system?
14,000
What is the chromosome short arm called?
p arm
What is the chromosome long arm called?
q arm
What proteins are found in DNA?
Histone protein
What is a missense mutation?
replacement of a single nucleotide ending up with an incorrect amino acid
eg. cytosine instead of adenine
What is a nosense mutation?
Cytosine replaced by thymine that signals the cell to shorten the protein
code for stop codon
Insertion mutation?
Additional nucleotide changing the amino acid sequence causing framshift mutations
Deletion mutation?
One nucleotide is deleted changing the amino acid sequence
Duplication mutation?
Section of DNA is accidentally duplicated when a chromosome is copied
Repeated expansion mutation?
Repeated trinucleotide sequence adds a series of amino acid to resulting protein
eg. Huntington’s disease
What is COMT?
Enzyme that inactivates dopamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline
What mutation in COMT can cause aggression?
Val/val
What is MAOA?
Enzyme that regulates serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine
can cause disinhibition over impulses
What has been shown with decreased MAOA activity?
Associated with conduct disorder traits
What has been shown with high MAOA activity?
Protective effect against adverse life adverse
What serotonin transporter has a role in impulsivity, antisocial and aggressive behaviours?
SLC6A4
What does the shorter SLC6A4 cause?
Reduction of serotonin transporter & reduction in serotonin transport back into brain -> aggression and CD in children
What are 3 other genetic markers associated with CD and aggression?
Dopamine transporter gene
Dopamine D4 receptor gene
single nucleotide polymoprhism
