Gustavo A. Martínez-Muñiz

BIOL 3095

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis: links the central nervous system to the peripheral response system. Also, it produces cortisol and dopamine.

Cortisol & Dopamine: hormones involved in the nervous system’s response to stimuli and stress. Varying levels affect a person’s behavior, either hightening or lowering aggression.

Pathologic pediatric aggression: condition in which a minor cannot control his or her behavior and responds in a certain type of aggression

Verbal Aggression Physical Aggression

A person will attack another person with words in order to affect their psyche and/or emotions.

A person will affect his/her own psyche and/or emotions by using his words in personal attacks.

Reactive & Impulsive: normally in response to stressful stimuli or provoked

Predatory & Premeditated: type of aggression in which the aggressor planned the attack beforehand

Physical aggression can also occur when the person causes physical damage in various ways.

In a study made with adolescents, flattered diurnal cortisol profile, or low levels of cortisol in the system can be weakly associated to aggressive behavior. (Van den Bergh et al. 2008)

Whereas in a study that took place with a large group of young children shows that proactive (premeditated) aggressive behavior can be linked to low levels of cortisol after stressful situations. (Lopez-Duran et al. 2009)

Dopamine levels in the HPA axis

Low profiles of a dopamine

metabolite called homovanillic acid

in children with comorbid ADHD and aggressive

behavior are similar to the

profiles of adult men convicted of

murder. (Barzman et al.

2010)

According to a recent review, low cortisol in the HPA axis is associated with aggressive behavior.

Pre-pubertal children would have low cortisol levels when exposed to stress-inducing situations.

It is also involved in early development of aggression in young males.

(Barzman et al. 2010)

“Youth with internalizing behaviors have higher morning cortisol levels” – Ruttle et al. (2011)

In the other hand, youth with external behavior show lower levels of morning cortisol.

Children with lower cortisol profiles are observed to have flattened cortisol profiles throughout adolescence.

This flattened profile of hormones tends to be persistent and gives place to more aggressive behaviors

(Ruttle et al. 2011)

Children with aggressive behaviors are more prone to antisocial behavior and abnormal behavior such as: drug and alcohol abuse, problems at home, and/or problematic friendships.

A survey in Washington, USA, and Victoria, Australia shows that boys are more capable of predatory aggression and behavior.

This would be a factor in behavioral changes of the aggressive child or adolescent (Hemphill et al. 2010).

Cortisol and dopamine are two hormones that should be closely observed when involving aggressive behavior.

Diagnostics of psychiatric disorders may be centered on the measurement of these hormones in order to indicate the source of aggression.

Psychological screenings are also important to cross with these hormone measurements in order to see social behavior of the potential patient.

Future works would involve measurement of both hormone profiles at the same time in order to associate with aggression

When growing up, children with low cortisol profiles will develop a flattened cortiisol profile.

This gives place to aggressive behavior throughout adolescence and possibly adulthood.

Barzman DH, Patel A, Sonnier L, Strawn JR. 2010. Neuroendocrine aspects of pediatric aggression: Can hormone measures be clinically useful?. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2010:6 691 – 697

Hemphill SA, Kotevski A, Herrenkohl, Toumbourou JW, Carlin JB, Catalano RF, Patton GC. 2010. Pubertal stage and the prevalence of violence and social relational aggression. Pediatrics. 2010 August ; 126(2): e298–e305. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0574.

Lopez-Duran NL, Olson SL, Hajal NJ, Felt BT, Vázquez DM. 2009. Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis Functioning in Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Children. J Abnorm Child Psychol (2009) 37:169–182

DOI 10.1007/s10802-008-9263-3. Van den Bergh BRH, Van Calster B, Pinna Puissant S, Van Huffel S.

2008. Self-reported symptoms of depressed mood, trait anxiety, and aggressive behavior in post-pubertal adolescents: Association with diurnal cortisol profiles. Hormones and Behavior 54 (2008) 258-257

Ruttle P, Shirtcliff E, Serbin L, Fisher D, Stack D, Schwartzman A. Disentangling psychobiological mechanisms underlying internalizing and externalizing behaviors in youth: Longitudinal and concurrent associations with cortisol. Horm Behav. 2011 January ; 59(1): 123–132. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.10.015.