title: Aggression and anxiety: social context and neurobiological links.
abstract: Psychopathologies such as anxiety- and depression-related disorders are often characterized by impaired social behaviours including excessive aggression and violence. Excessive aggression and violence likely develop as a consequence of generally disturbed emotional regulation, such as abnormally high or low levels of anxiety. This suggests an overlap between brain circuitries and neurochemical systems regulating aggression and anxiety. In this review, we will discuss different forms of male aggression, rodent models of excessive aggression, and neurobiological mechanisms underlying male aggression in the context of anxiety. We will summarize our attempts to establish an animal model of high and abnormal aggression using rats selected for high (HAB) vs. low (LAB) anxiety-related behaviour. Briefly, male LAB rats and, to a lesser extent, male HAB rats show high and abnormal forms of aggression compared with non-selected (NAB) rats, making them a suitable animal model for studying excessive aggression in the context of extremes in innate anxiety. In addition, we will discuss differences in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, brain arginine vasopressin, and the serotonin systems, among others, which contribute to the distinct behavioural phenotypes related to aggression and anxiety. Further investigation of the neurobiological systems in animals with distinct anxiety phenotypes might provide valuable information about the link between excessive aggression and disturbed emotional regulation, which is essential for understanding the social and emotional deficits that are characteristic of many human psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, University of Regensburg Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Inga D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Alexa H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Veenema
authors.forename: Daniela I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Beiderbeck
references.citation: Horm Behav. 1994 Mar;28(1):1-15
references.pmid: 8034278
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Feb;28(2):235-43
references.pmid: 12589376
references.citation: Compr Psychiatry. 2000 Nov-Dec;41(6):469-78
references.pmid: 11086154
references.citation: Physiol Zool. 1947 Oct;20(4):373-405
references.pmid: 18921409
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2005 Jul 20;25(29):6807-15
references.pmid: 16033890
references.citation: Behav Biol. 1977 Oct;21(2):197-224
references.pmid: 562152
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997 Mar;36(3):307-15
references.pmid: 9055510
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 2009 May 25;97(2):157-70
references.pmid: 19250945
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2004 Jan;29(1):1-14
references.pmid: 12942143
references.citation: Behav Genet. 1981 Mar;11(2):115-26
references.pmid: 7196726
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2003 Jan;43(1):197-204
references.pmid: 12614650
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2006 Jun;50(1):118-25
references.pmid: 16631757
references.citation: Science. 1996 Nov 29;274(5292):1527-31
references.pmid: 8929413
references.citation: Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1998 Jun;21(2):293-307
references.pmid: 9670227
references.citation: J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1976 Dec;90(12):1169-83
references.pmid: 1033211
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 1998;119:3-20
references.pmid: 10074777
references.citation: J Neuroendocrinol. 1997 May;9(5):363-8
references.pmid: 9181490
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Jun 7;102(23):8357-62
references.pmid: 15923261
references.citation: Brain Res Bull. 1993;30(1-2):1-6
references.pmid: 8420617
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1991 Oct;50(4):793-9
references.pmid: 1663629
references.citation: J Soc Psychol. 1996 Feb;136(1):49-56
references.pmid: 8851447
references.citation: Clin Psychol Rev. 1997;17(6):651-65
references.pmid: 9336689
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Nov 4;105(44):17139-44
references.pmid: 18955705
references.citation: Horm Behav. 1972 Mar;3(1):71-81
references.pmid: 4681737
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1994;19(5-7):709-21
references.pmid: 7938366
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993 Nov;32(6):1217-22
references.pmid: 8282667
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2006;30(3):319-45
references.pmid: 16483890
references.citation: Prog Neurobiol. 2003 Jun;70(2):83-244
references.pmid: 12927745
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1999 Apr;66(2):293-302
references.pmid: 10336157
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2004 Oct;7(10):1048-54
references.pmid: 15452576
references.citation: J Clin Psychiatry. 2003;64 Suppl 4:26-35
references.pmid: 12672262
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2003 Oct;6(10):1100-7
references.pmid: 12973355
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2004 May;34(3):309-18
references.pmid: 14990869
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Feb 18;94(4):1476-81
references.pmid: 9037078
references.citation: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006 Feb;83(2):169-74
references.pmid: 16504276
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007 Jun;32(5):437-50
references.pmid: 17433558
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2003 Feb;117(1):38-45
references.pmid: 12619906
references.citation: Brain Res. 1984 Apr 23;298(1):141-5
references.pmid: 6722551
references.citation: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1991 Aug;19(4):469-78
references.pmid: 1757712
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2004;27:193-222
references.pmid: 15217331
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Jul;30(6):550-7
references.pmid: 15808924
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 1998 Nov;19(5):381-96
references.pmid: 9778660
references.citation: J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59 Suppl 18:18-22
references.pmid: 9840194
references.citation: Dev Psychobiol. 1991 Dec;24(8):547-58
references.pmid: 1773913
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1996 Jul;60(1):25-9
references.pmid: 8804638
references.citation: Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 1995 Jan;9 Suppl 4:41-5
references.pmid: 7622823
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2003 Sep;33(5):485-501
references.pmid: 14574126
references.citation: CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2006 Apr;5(2):167-79
references.pmid: 16611090
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2006 Sep;24(6):1711-20
references.pmid: 17004935
references.citation: Eur J Pharmacol. 2008 Apr 7;583(2-3):340-9
references.pmid: 18255056
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1980 Summer;19(3):476-90
references.pmid: 7410752
references.citation: Curr Pharm Des. 2005;11(2):205-25
references.pmid: 15638758
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2006;30(3):292-303
references.pmid: 16483889
references.citation: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2005 Jun;6(6):463-75
references.pmid: 15891777
references.citation: Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2007 Dec;21(6):567-74
references.pmid: 18034657
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2007;31(1):89-102
references.pmid: 16934871
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Apr;34(3):463-7
references.pmid: 19056182
references.citation: Nat Genet. 2000 Apr;24(4):410-4
references.pmid: 10742108
references.citation: J Affect Disord. 1995 Dec 13;35(3):117-23
references.pmid: 8749839
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2009 Jul 19;201(1):179-91
references.pmid: 19428632
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002 Jan;26(1):94-105
references.pmid: 11751036
references.citation: J Neurosci Methods. 1985 Aug;14(3):149-67
references.pmid: 2864480
references.citation: Science. 1995 Jun 23;268(5218):1763-6
references.pmid: 7792602
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2010 Jul;58(2):273-81
references.pmid: 20298693
references.citation: Eur J Pharmacol. 2005 Dec 5;526(1-3):207-17
references.pmid: 16310769
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2002 Oct;163(3-4):434-58
references.pmid: 12373445
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 2000 Oct;157(10):1629-33
references.pmid: 11007717
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2004 Jan 5;148(1-2):185-98
references.pmid: 14684259
references.citation: Horm Behav. 1999 Aug;36(1):25-38
references.pmid: 10433884
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1997 Mar;61(3):381-5
references.pmid: 9089756
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 2008 Mar 18;93(4-5):807-19
references.pmid: 18190935
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2006 Feb;120(1):60-71
references.pmid: 16492117
references.citation: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Jan 30;31(1):27-31
references.pmid: 16893596
references.citation: Horm Behav. 1972 Sep;3(3):247-59
references.pmid: 4681746
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1992 May;51(5):961-8
references.pmid: 1319590
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2003 Sep;44(3):242-57
references.pmid: 14609546
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2007 Oct 1;183(1):18-24
references.pmid: 17599477
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Sep;30(8):791-806
references.pmid: 15896920
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1996 Sep 20;794:98-103
references.pmid: 8853596
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1990 Nov;48(5):693-9
references.pmid: 2082369
references.citation: PLoS One. 2009;4(4):e5129
references.pmid: 19357765
references.citation: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1978 Apr;8(4):497-9
references.pmid: 566931
references.citation: Eur J Pharmacol. 2005 Dec 5;526(1-3):51-64
references.pmid: 16325649
references.citation: Brain Res. 1992 Jan 8;569(1):106-11
references.pmid: 1611470
references.citation: Eur J Pharmacol. 2005 Dec 5;526(1-3):21-35
references.pmid: 16298361
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2003 Sep;33(5):563-74
references.pmid: 14574133
references.citation: Front Neuroendocrinol. 2009 Oct;30(4):497-518
references.pmid: 19341763
references.citation: Endocrinology. 2008 Oct;149(10):4892-900
references.pmid: 18566122
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Aug 1;44(3):151-62
references.pmid: 9693387
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2004 Jun;29(5):618-35
references.pmid: 15041085
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 2008;170:261-76
references.pmid: 18655888
references.citation: Behav Genet. 1996 Sep;26(5):477-88
references.pmid: 8917946
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2000 Jun 15;111(1-2):153-63
references.pmid: 10840141
references.citation: Front Neuroendocrinol. 2004 Sep-Dec;25(3-4):150-76
references.pmid: 15589267
references.citation: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1980 Aug;13(2):167-70
references.pmid: 6106204
references.citation: Science. 1994 Sep 23;265(5180):1875-8
references.pmid: 8091214
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1997 Jun 1;17(11):4331-40
references.pmid: 9151749
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1994 Nov 30;746:345-59; discussion 359-61
references.pmid: 7825889
references.citation: Eur J Pharmacol. 2005 Dec 5;526(1-3):89-100
references.pmid: 16280125
references.citation: Psychopharmacologia. 1973 May 21;30(2):95-102
references.pmid: 4576033
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2002 Oct 17;136(1):227-37
references.pmid: 12385809
references.citation: J Clin Psychiatry. 1992 Oct;53 Suppl:46-51
references.pmid: 1385390
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 2008;170:3-15
references.pmid: 18655867
references.citation: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1989 May;33(1):85-91
references.pmid: 2476833
references.citation: Braz J Psychiatry. 2003 Oct;25(4):231-8
references.pmid: 15328550
references.citation: Anim Behav. 1977 Aug;25(3):654-9
references.pmid: 562632
references.citation: Child Dev. 1987 Aug;58(4):1114-34
references.pmid: 3608660
references.citation: Endocrinology. 2007 Feb;148(2):670-82
references.pmid: 17110427
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 1998;23(2):337-44
references.pmid: 9884127
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2008 Dec;28(11):2299-309
references.pmid: 19019199
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2001 Apr;115(2):429-36
references.pmid: 11345967
references.citation: Nature. 1995 Nov 23;378(6555):383-6
references.pmid: 7477374
references.citation: Neuroscience. 2000;95(2):567-75
references.pmid: 10658637
references.citation: J Neurochem. 2005 Mar;92(5):1170-9
references.pmid: 15715667
references.citation: J Neuroendocrinol. 2001 Jan;13(1):102-7
references.pmid: 11123520
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2005 May 1;57(9):953-60
references.pmid: 15860334
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2002 Sep;32(5):301-14
references.pmid: 12405513
references.citation: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1998 Dec;33 Suppl 1:S13-23
references.pmid: 9857775
references.citation: Neuropharmacology. 2010 Jan;58(1):56-61
references.pmid: 19589349
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992 Jun 12;652:212-26
references.pmid: 1626830
references.citation: Depress Anxiety. 2000;12 Suppl 1:2-19
references.pmid: 11098410
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994 Jan;51(1):8-19
references.pmid: 8279933
references.citation: Mol Psychiatry. 2002;7(9):975-84
references.pmid: 12399951
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2004 Aug;7(8):847-54
references.pmid: 15220929
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2004 Jan;29(1):35-48
references.pmid: 14575728
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998 Aug;55(8):708-14
references.pmid: 9707381
references.citation: Physiol Biochem Zool. 2005 Sep-Oct;78(5):679-94
references.pmid: 16059845
references.citation: Science. 1990 Dec 21;250(4988):1678-83
references.pmid: 2270481
references.citation: Prog Neurobiol. 1980;15(3):247-68
references.pmid: 7005965
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2008 Aug;122(4):849-54
references.pmid: 18729638
references.citation: Neurobiol Dis. 2009 May;34(2):375-80
references.pmid: 19254763
references.citation: Science. 2000 Jul 28;289(5479):591-4
references.pmid: 10915615
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2002 Jun 15;51(12):936-50
references.pmid: 12062877
references.citation: Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 1993 May;18(3):195-200
references.pmid: 8497182
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 1999 Aug;113(4):804-15
references.pmid: 10495088
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2001 Jun 15;49(12):1023-39
references.pmid: 11430844
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Mar;31(5):883-91
references.pmid: 20374286
references.citation: Horm Behav. 1991 Jun;25(2):229-41
references.pmid: 2066082
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2003 Sep;33(5):503-11
references.pmid: 14574127
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Dec;158(4):366-73
references.pmid: 11797057
references.citation: Braz J Med Biol Res. 1996 Dec;29(12):1657-62
references.pmid: 9222428
references.citation: Biol Psychol. 1995 Nov 16;41(3):271-93
references.pmid: 8608204
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2006 Jan;23(2):541-51
references.pmid: 16420461
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1983;8(3):343-50
references.pmid: 6316393
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2009 Jun;17(3):154-64
references.pmid: 19586230
references.citation: J Neuroendocrinol. 2000 May;12(5):431-6
references.pmid: 10792582
references.citation: Mol Psychiatry. 2009 Apr;14(4):381-9
references.pmid: 18283276
references.citation: Brain Behav Evol. 2007;70(4):274-85
references.pmid: 17914259
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1991 Mar;49(3):423-6
references.pmid: 2062917
references.citation: J Neuroendocrinol. 2003 Mar;15(3):256-67
references.pmid: 12588514
references.citation: Neuroscience. 2005;132(3):867-77
references.pmid: 15837146
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2009 Jan;39(1):73-90
references.pmid: 18972199
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002 Jun;26(6):729-36
references.pmid: 12007743
references.citation: Horm Behav. 1997 Apr;31(2):136-44
references.pmid: 9154434
references.citation: Neuroreport. 2001 Apr 17;12(5):1035-8
references.pmid: 11303741
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Oct;1113:291-303
references.pmid: 17513462
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Sep;157(3):221-7
references.pmid: 11605076
references.citation: Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2005 Sep;4(9):775-90
references.pmid: 16138108
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2004 Apr 1;55(7):715-23
references.pmid: 15039000
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Oct 24;97(22):12272-7
references.pmid: 11027316
references.citation: Nature. 1996 Oct 10;383(6600):535-8
references.pmid: 8849726
references.citation: Recent Pat CNS Drug Discov. 2008 Jun;3(2):77-93
references.pmid: 18537767
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 1998 Aug;94(2):301-10
references.pmid: 9722280
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2004 Oct;118(5):1062-70
references.pmid: 15506888
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2006 Apr;9(4):519-25
references.pmid: 16501568
references.citation: Am Psychol. 1998 Feb;53(2):242-59
references.pmid: 9491750
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992 Jun 12;652:387-96
references.pmid: 1626838
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2007 Jan;51(1):11-9
references.pmid: 16935287
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1988;44(2):235-9
references.pmid: 2853382
references.citation: Curr Protoc Neurosci. 2004 May;Chapter 8:Unit 8.3
references.pmid: 18428606
references.citation: Brain Res. 1992 May 8;579(2):321-6
references.pmid: 1352729
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2007 Dec;26(12):3597-605
references.pmid: 18052969
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2004 Sep 1;24(35):7762-70
references.pmid: 15342744
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 1998;119:395-408
references.pmid: 10074802
references.citation: Science. 1994 Oct 14;266(5183):291-4
references.pmid: 7939668
references.citation: J Neural Transm (Vienna). 1997;104(11-12):1259-66
references.pmid: 9503271
references.citation: Can J Psychiatry. 2006 Feb;51(2):100-13
references.pmid: 16989109
references.citation: Endocrinology. 2003 Jun;144(6):2291-6
references.pmid: 12746288
references.citation: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1999 May;34(5):231-42
references.pmid: 10396164
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 2005 Jun 20;161(2):197-203
references.pmid: 15922045
references.citation: Brain Behav Evol. 2001 May;57(5):239-51
references.pmid: 11641561
references.citation: Child Abuse Negl. 2002 Apr;26(4):407-24
references.pmid: 12092806
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2000 Nov;30(6):439-46
references.pmid: 11523703
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2003 Aug;117(4):667-74
references.pmid: 12931952
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2003 Sep;44(3):199-208
references.pmid: 14609542
references.citation: Behav Genet. 2001 Jul;31(4):371-82
references.pmid: 11720123
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2003 Sep;44(3):161-70
references.pmid: 14609538
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 1996 Feb;75(1-2):27-32
references.pmid: 8800657
references.citation: Front Neuroendocrinol. 2004 Sep-Dec;25(3-4):132-49
references.pmid: 15589266
references.citation: Brain Res. 1983 Aug 29;273(2):307-17
references.pmid: 6311351
references.citation: J Neuroendocrinol. 1999 Jun;11(6):405-7
references.pmid: 10336720
references.citation: Bull Exp Biol Med. 2002 Apr;133(4):372-6
references.pmid: 12124649
references.citation: Horm Behav. 2000 Mar;37(2):145-55
references.pmid: 10753584
references.citation: J Exp Biol. 2006 Dec;209(Pt 23):4581-9
references.pmid: 17114393
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Feb 15;53(4):275-83
references.pmid: 12586446