Aggressive drivers have less emotional brains
A new study where brain diagnosis researchers have found that frontal limb regions in the brain that regulate emotions play an important role in aggressive behavior.
The results show that persons with intermittent explosive disorder (IED) have significantly less gray matter in these frontal-lumbar brain structures.
"Intermittent explosive disorder is defined in DSM-5 as recurrent, problematic, impulsive aggression," explained Dr. Emil Coccaro from the University of Chicago and author of the article, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
DSM-5 stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and is the American diagnosis and classification system for mental disorders and the criteria that must be met for each diagnosis to be made. DSM-5 is the fifth edition.
"Although it is more prevalent than bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, many researchers believe that impulsive aggression is simply" bad behavior "that requires a posture adjustment. However, our data confirm that IED, as defined by DSM-5, is a Brain disease and not just a disturbance of personality. "
The researchers conducted MRI scans of 168 subjects, including 57 patients with IED, 53 healthy controls, and 58 psychiatric examiners. The team found a direct correlation between actual aggressive behavior and the amount of gray matter that shows that the aggressive behavior is associated with a lower amount of gray matter.
Gray substance is a term for tissue in the central nervous system, as seen with the naked eye.
If you make a cut in the brain you will see areas with gray and white nerve tissue, respectively. The white tissue is called a similar white substance, which is colored by an overweight of myelines, while areas with predominantly cellular bodies are gray.
"Across all participants, a reduced amount of gray matter in the frontal-lumbar brain structures was associated with increased aggressiveness," says Dr. Cameron Carter, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis and Editor of Biological Psychiatry :.
"The results suggest that disturbed development of emotional-regulating circuits can underlie a person's inclination to anger and aggression."
Title reads a bit opposite of the article, but I get it now.
These IED folks have less brain matter in the emotional areas of the brain, and tend to explode in an emotional outburst. It's like they have less volume to contain negative thoughts, in a way...
Very interesting, Mac!