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Koyama E, Kant T, Takata A, Kennedy JL, Zai CC. Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:252. [PMID: 38862490 PMCID: PMC11167064 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02870-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive and persistent aggressiveness is the most common behavioral problem that leads to psychiatric referrals among children. While half of the variance in childhood aggression is attributed to genetic factors, the biological mechanism and the interplay between genes and environment that results in aggression remains elusive. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide an overview of studies examining the genetics of childhood aggression irrespective of psychiatric diagnosis. PubMed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE databases were searched using predefined search terms for aggression, genes and the specific age group. From the 652 initially yielded studies, eighty-seven studies were systematically extracted for full-text review and for further quality assessment analyses. Findings show that (i) investigation of candidate genes, especially of MAOA (17 studies), DRD4 (13 studies), and COMT (12 studies) continue to dominate the field, although studies using other research designs and methods including genome-wide association and epigenetic studies are increasing, (ii) the published articles tend to be moderate in sizes, with variable methods of assessing aggressive behavior and inconsistent categorizations of tandem repeat variants, resulting in inconclusive findings of genetic main effects, gene-gene, and gene-environment interactions, (iii) the majority of studies are conducted on European, male-only or male-female mixed, participants. To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically review the effects of genes on youth aggression. To understand the genetic underpinnings of childhood aggression, more research is required with larger, more diverse sample sets, consistent and reliable assessments and standardized definition of the aggression phenotypes. The search for the biological mechanisms underlying child aggression will also benefit from more varied research methods, including epigenetic studies, transcriptomic studies, gene system and genome-wide studies, longitudinal studies that track changes in risk/ameliorating factors and aggression-related outcomes, and studies examining causal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Koyama
- Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Tuana Kant
- Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Atsushi Takata
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - James L Kennedy
- Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Clement C Zai
- Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Brain Science, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Li J, Ouyang L, Liu X, Wang Q, Min Z, Liu G, Zhong Y, Zhang N, Wang C, Liu N. The influence of NOS1AP gene polymorphisms and childhood abuse on antisocial personality disorder in Chinese male violent inmates. Personal Ment Health 2022; 17:184-193. [PMID: 36463909 DOI: 10.1002/pmh.1572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a common behavioral pattern that causes sufferers to ignore or violate the rights of others. Though its cause is still unclear, previous studies have shown that childhood maltreatment is closely related to ASPD. The NOS1AP gene is associated with various neuropsychiatric diseases, but a linkage between it and ASPD has not yet been discovered. This study recruited ASPD and non-ASPD male subjects who had committed violent crimes from a prison in Nanjing, China. By comparing the two groups' genotypes, allele frequencies, and histories of childhood abuse, we explored the interaction between the NOS1AP gene and childhood maltreatment on the pathogenesis of ASPD. The results showed that polymorphism rs945713 in the NOS1AP gene was associated with ASPD and furthermore that this SNP may be involved in regulating the effect of childhood abuse on ASPD. This study found that childhood trauma increases the risk of ASPD in violent adult male inmates; for prisoners with ASPD, it is critical to pay attention to their childhood trauma and take early psychological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyang Li
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lichen Ouyang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyao Liu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiuyu Wang
- Jiangsu Health Vocational College, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhang Min
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Gang Liu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Zhong
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chun Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Na Liu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Stevanovic D, Damjanovic R, Jovic V, Bador K, Nguyen HTM, Senhaji M, Kuch-Cecconi RH, Meszaros ZS, Kerekes N. Measurement properties of the life history of aggression in adolescents: Data from Morocco, Serbia, Sweden, Vietnam, and the USA. Psychiatry Res 2022; 311:114504. [PMID: 35287040 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Life History of Aggression (LHA) is a frequently used scale for assessing trait aggression, but its psychometric properties have not been evaluated among adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the LHA among high school students from Morocco, Serbia, Sweden, Vietnam, and the United States of America (USA). The total sample included 4867 adolescents, aged 15-19 years, from Morocco (n = 508), Serbia (n = 1067), Sweden (n = 1570), Vietnam (n = 1401), and the USA (n = 321). A two-factor, nine-item model containing an aggression factor (5 items) and a consequences/antisocial behavior factor (4 items) was created. The two-factor model had an acceptable-to-good model fit for the data for the total sample and all five countries, including gender. Cronbach's alpha (α) was satisfactory across countries. Still, the construct was noninvariant across countries and genders. The LHA with nine items in two subscales showed sound construct validity and internal consistency and can be used for group-level or within-group assessments of trait aggression in adolescents by either gender or country. However, it should not be used for cross-gender or cross-country comparisons due to a lack of measurement invariance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dejan Stevanovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Rade Damjanovic
- Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Education in Sombor, University of Novi Sad, Sombor 25000, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Jovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | | | - Hang Thi Minh Nguyen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam.
| | - Meftaha Senhaji
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Avenue de Sebta, Mhannech II, Tetouan 93002, Morocco.
| | - Rachael H Kuch-Cecconi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
| | | | - Nóra Kerekes
- Department of Health Sciences, University West, Trollhättan 46186, Sweden.
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Kolla NJ, Bortolato M. The role of monoamine oxidase A in the neurobiology of aggressive, antisocial, and violent behavior: A tale of mice and men. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 194:101875. [PMID: 32574581 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, research has revealed that genetic factors shape the propensity for aggressive, antisocial, and violent behavior. The best-documented gene implicated in aggression is MAOA (Monoamine oxidase A), which encodes the key enzyme for the degradation of serotonin and catecholamines. Congenital MAOA deficiency, as well as low-activity MAOA variants, has been associated with a higher risk for antisocial behavior (ASB) and violence, particularly in males with a history of child maltreatment. Indeed, the interplay between low MAOA genetic variants and early-life adversity is the best-documented gene × environment (G × E) interaction in the pathophysiology of aggression and ASB. Additional evidence indicates that low MAOA activity in the brain is strongly associated with a higher propensity for aggression; furthermore, MAOA inhibition may be one of the primary mechanisms whereby prenatal smoke exposure increases the risk of ASB. Complementary to these lines of evidence, mouse models of Maoa deficiency and G × E interactions exhibit striking similarities with clinical phenotypes, proving to be valuable tools to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying antisocial and aggressive behavior. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the knowledge on the involvement of MAOA in aggression, as defined by preclinical and clinical evidence. In particular, we show how the convergence of human and animal research is proving helpful to our understanding of how MAOA influences antisocial and violent behavior and how it may assist in the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies for aggressive manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Kolla
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Research Imaging Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; Violence Prevention Neurobiological Research Unit, CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada; Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Penetanguishene, ON, Canada; Translational Initiative on Antisocial Personality Disorder (TrIAD); Program of Research on Violence Etiology, Neurobiology, and Treatment (PReVENT).
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Translational Initiative on Antisocial Personality Disorder (TrIAD); Program of Research on Violence Etiology, Neurobiology, and Treatment (PReVENT).
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