Citation

Allain H. Neuro-Psy 1997; 12(1): 441-447.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Violent behaviour (self aggression or towards another person) represents a wide spectrum of environnemental, psychologiccal or etiological situations. In spile of the heterogeneity of these concepts, it is useful to analyse the potential biological markers of aggression, suicide or violent acts. In animal, both reward and aversive mesencephalodiencephalic systems are the main anatomical systems involved in aggressivity. In human, multisites dysfunctions must be considered, mainly frontal and temporal lobes. The neurochemistiy of violence is dominated by neurotransmitters and mainly biogenic amines and serotonin ; hyposerotoninergy appears as the basis of impulsivity and suicidal pulsion. The pharmacology of violence is limited by methodological problems ; in acute situations neuroleptics are the drugs of choice ; in a preventive view, the serotoninergic drugs are under evaluation.

Language: fr

Keywords

Aggressivity; Biology; Impulsivity; Pharmacology; Suicide; Violence