Ethopharmacology of Aggression, Defense, and Defeat

In the past 25 years, the neuroanatomical and neurochemical hypotheses on the control mechanisms for aggression have paralleled each other in many respects and have started to converge. The initial anatomical studies focused on circumscribed brain loci that appeared to be critical for the occurrence of certain aggressive behaviors. In the past decade a cavalier attitude has developed among neuroscientists toward a precise, accurate, and sensitive analysis of behavior, and aggression is no exception. The behavioral analysis of aggression has several important implications for the study of underlying neural mechanisms and, especially, the role of neurotransmitters. The ethological approach to aggression originated with investigations under field conditions where elaborate sequences of species-specific interactions are readily seen. It is possible to arrange experimental conditions in the laboratory that engender biologically relevant agonistic behavior. The major limitation of studying aggression in the context of resident–intruder encounters, appears to lie in its restricted application to humans.