Exam 2

Question 1

Three hypothesis for the brain and agression

Answer 1

Different behaviors (aggression, feeding, sexual behavior) may be in unique and separate brain areas but that these areas are not yet outlined due to poor technology.

Different behaviors are NOT in segregated and dedicated areas of the brain. They are in the same area(s) of the brain, but have a differential activation pattern across the areas of the brain.

There are both dedicated (and separate) brain areas for the different brain areas for some of the different behavior, but there may also be overlapping areas of the brain for these behavior that have a differential activation pattern.

Question 2

1994 finding of head injuries in following samples

Answer 2

Male spouse abusers—51%

Non-violent maritally-discordant men—25%

Maritally-satisfied men—16%

Question 3

Meta-analysis

Answer 3

a statistical summary across several previous studies

Question 4

“Somatic marker”

Answer 4

right ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions result in deficits because of an inability to recruit emotionally salient information when making decisions with some uncertain outcome, producing a tendency to favor immediate rewards.

Question 5

Reduced amygdala volume is associated with development of

Answer 5

Trait aggression

Antisociality

Sensation-seeking

Violence

Question 6

Studies also find that the frontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex are

Answer 6

important for the regulation of violence and aggression.

Question 7

Intimate partner violence

Answer 7

(“any physical, sexual, or psychological harm occurring between current or former intimate partners”

Question 8

Traumatic Brain Injury

Answer 8

a resulting injury that results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body or from an object penetrating the skull.

Question 9

Finding from 1989

Answer 9

61.3% of partner violence perpetrators had closed head injuries.

Question 10

1994 finding of head injuries in following samples

Answer 10

Male spouse abusers—51%

Non-violent maritally-discordant men—25%

Maritally-satisfied men—16%

Question 11

A second 1994 finding

Answer 11

found no differences in IPV between a sample with head injuries and a sample with orthopedic injuries (spine, joint, and muscle injuries). But head injured men reported more loss of temper and control, more verbal communication difficulties, arguing with others, and more verbal abuse versus the orthopedically injured men

Question 12

A 2012 meta-analysis

Answer 12

found 53.6% of IPV had TBI as compared to the general population of 38.5% of men

Question 13

One study suggests that the severity of TBI

Answer 13

greater is men who engage in IPV than men with TBI who do not engage in IPV.

Question 14

Common complaints from caregivers of those with TBI

Answer 14

Agitation
Frustration
Restlessness (which when treated with physical or chemical restraints makes the TBI patient more frustrated)
Moderate of severe “aggressiveness” from TBI patient to the caretaker
Fatigue*
Slowness*
Forgetfulness*
Increasingly severe tempter outbursts*
Anxiety*
Self-centerednes

Question 15

One 2006 study found

Answer 15

25% of moderate to severe TBI show aggression at 6, 24, and 60 month post-injury

Question 16

One 2007 study found

Answer 16

that 88% of male and female prisoners in one sample had at least one head injury in the past.

Question 17

Another meta-analysis found that

Answer 17

among all types of male offenders, the estimated prevalence of TBI was 64.4%”

Question 18

Executive functioning deficits

Answer 18

may the mechanism by which violence occurs after TBI

Question 19

Lesion studies

Answer 19

“Lesions often result in confirmed loss of vocal (specific) regions” (p. 325) and are thus more severe than head-injuries.

Question 20

Lesions in the following brain areas are associated with anger, irritability, and violence

Answer 20

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Right ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Orbitofrontal cortex

Medial frontal cortex

Temporal lobes

Question 21

OMPCC

Answer 21

orbital/medial prefrontal cortex circuit

Question 22

IED

Answer 22

Intermittent Explosive Disorder (a psychological disorder characterized by impulsive aggression

Question 23

Studies have found the following with IED (which suggest lesion to OMPCC)

Answer 23

Impaired decision making
Impaired facial emotion recognition
Impaired odor identification
Other studies have shown IED patients have a negative bias towards neutral emotional faces

Question 24

One limitation of this review

Answer 24

is that they did not look at functional changes

Question 25

Future studies should address the following:

Answer 25

ongitudinal assessment and study of acute head injury

Gender differences in TBI and brain lesions

The authors urge that clinicians and emergency responders identify head injuries as they are “both and effect and cause of violence and abuse.” (p. 329)

“As there is evidence that anger management programs following TBI are effective in reducing both trait and state anger, proper screening and referral can be effective in reducing violent behavior for individuals with brain injury.” (p. 329)