Dopamine, glutamate, and aggression

Abstract

Dopamine (DA) and glutamate are part of intricate neurobiological mechanisms mediating different kinds of aggressive behavior, involving the canonical amines and acids, neuropeptides, and neurosteroids in corticomesolimbic circuits (1). Beginning with invertebrates, the critical role of serotonin (5-HT) for aggression-inhibiting mechanisms has emerged, and it is important to understand how other transmitters, such as DA and glutamate, interact with serotonergic mechanisms. The two major sources of information for delineating the role of glutamate and DA in aggressive behavior are (1) neurobiological studies of preclinical model systems, mostly in rodents and cats, and (2) investigations into the mechanisms for pharmacotherapeutic interventions in clinical settings. The epidemiological statistics on criminal violence, emergency room visits, and public health records of treating violent individuals and victims of violence document the magnitude and urgency of the problem and the need for increasing the understanding the neurobiological basis of these adaptive and pathological behaviors. Although most acts of violence are committed by individuals who are not in mental health settings, and although most mentally ill patients are not violent, the rate of injury resulting from violent acts is higher for mental health staff than injurious accidents for heavy construction and mining professions (2,3). Up to 22% of psychiatric inpatients committed aggressive acts within the last 2 wk (4). © 2005 Humana Press.