Beta-blockers and the treatment of aggression.
This review assesses the usefulness of beta-blockers in the treatment of aggression and describes the parameters for their clinical use. A Medline search using the terms "beta-blockers," "aggression," "propranolol," and "brain injury" identified relevant journal articles published in English between 1977 and 1993. Open, prospective and double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, as well as case reports, were included. Beta-blockers appear to be effective in decreasing the frequency and intensity of aggressive outbursts associated with a wide variety of conditions, such as dementias, attention-deficit disorder, personality disorders, Korsakoff's psychosis, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, profound mental retardation, autism, and brain injury. A general discussion attempts to resolve some of the issues surrounding the possible mechanisms of beta-blocker effects, reviews the anatomic and neurochemical bases of aggression, and explores implications of the clinical use of beta-blockers.
Haspel
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San Mateo Community Mental Health, Calif., USA.
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000374:Aggression; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D012701:Serotonin; D011433:Propranolol