EVidence for dorsolateral and orbital prefrontal cortical involvement in the expression of aggressive behavior

Abstract

Numerous studies have implicated the role of the prefrontal cortex in the expression of aggressive behavior. However, the nature of this relationship remains poorly understood. As such, the purpose of this article is to review both the animal and human literature pertaining to prefrontal cortical functioning and aggression in an attempt to help clarify this relationship. Particular attention is paid to differentiating the functions of the dorsolateral and the orbital regions of the prefrontal cortex in the expression of aggression. Evidence was garnered from four different types of studies: 1) those examining aggressive behavior in animals following ablations to the prefrontal cortex; 2) those examining aggressive behavior in humans following surgical and accidental lesions to the prefrontal cortex; 3) those examining prefrontal cortical functioning in individuals with psychiatric disorders characterized by aggression; and 4) those relating prefrontal cortical functioning to human aggressive behavior in laboratory situations. The general conclusion of this article is that the dorsolateral region of the prefrontal cortex is more likely to be involved in the expression of physical aggression whereas the orbital region is more likely to be involved in the expression of what is termed herein “disinhibited‐nonaggressive” behavior. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Neurocognitive elements of antisocial behavior: Relevance of an orbitofrontal cortex account

“…The neuropsychology of antisocial disorders has been the object of several reviews since Moffitt (1993) developed her theoretical work in the context of critical reviews of the neuropsychology of delinquency (Moffitt, 1990b) and of conduct disorder (Moffitt, 1993; see also Pennington & Bennetto, 1993). A number of other significant reviews were published around that time and in the years that followed (Giancola, 1995;Kandel & Freed, 1989;Morgan & Lilienfeld, 2000;Teichner & Golden, 2000). Moffitt (1990b) initially identified deficits in three specific areas: language abilities, executive function, and cerebral dominance.…”

Exploring the differential associations between components of executive functioning and reactive and proactive aggression

“…A large body of literature confirms the importance of cognitive functioning, and particularly executive functioning (EF), in the explanation of aggressive and antisocial behaviors (e.g., Giancola, 1995;Morgan & Lilienfeld, 2000;Ogilvie et al, 2011;Seguin, 2009;Seguin & Zelazo, 2005). EF consists of higher order cognitive abilities involved in goal attainment via problem solving processes, such as working memory, planning, representation of mental sets, and self--control (e.g., Seguin & Zelazo, 2005).…”

Give Me Just a Little More Time: Effects of Alcohol on the Failure and Recovery of Cognitive Control

“…Implications of these findings for understanding alcohol's effects on behavioral under-control are discussed. Keywords alcohol; cognitive control; ERPs; post-error adjustment; externalizing Alcohol is commonly understood to impair cognitive functioning (see Curtin & Lang, 2007;Giancola, 2000;Sayette, 1999), which has been posited as a major source of the drug's deleterious effects on externalizing behaviors, including increased aggression (Giancola, 2004;Giancola, Josephs, De Wall, & Gunn, 2009;Godlaski & Giancola, 2009), greater risktaking (Cherpitel, 2006;Fromme, Katz, & D'Amico, 1997;George, Rogers, & Duka, 2005), and engagement in injurious behaviors (MacDonald, Zanna, & Fong, 1996, 1995. Despite this theory and research, a close examination of the literature indicates that alcohol's effects on cognition are not uniform.…”