TY - JOUR
T1 - The unusual suspects
T2 - A systematic search for the molecular and cellular correlates of human aggression
AU - Paiva, Tiago O.
AU - Buades-Rotger, Macià
AU - Baskin-Sommers, Arielle
AU - Brazil, Inti A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/11/1
Y1 - 2024/11/1
N2 - Decades of research have uncovered several molecules and cell types (i.e., biomolecules) associated with aggression, violence, and hostility (AVH). In this systematic review, we aimed to identify which of these biomolecules have been predominantly studied in relation to AVH in human adults, and to obtain a general sense of the direction of the effects reported for each identified biomolecule. Eighty-one studies (out of 2914 initial abstracts) were included in the review, totaling 198 effects and 29,565 participants. Hormones, particularly testosterone and cortisol, were by far the most studied biomolecules (57.58 %), followed by cytokines (14.14 %), proteins (9.09 %), and neurotransmitters (4.55 %). Out of all extracted statistical effects, 15.1 % reported a negative association, 45.5 % reported no association, and 39.4 % reported a positive association between AVH and the biomolecules, although this pattern varied substantially for individual biomolecules. We also identified some research on biomolecules pertaining to the immune system, which could turn out to play crucial roles in advancing our understanding of AVH. These quantitative insights into the current state of biochemical research on AVH in human adults provide a basis for shaping a broader and more integrative research agenda for studying AVH.
AB - Decades of research have uncovered several molecules and cell types (i.e., biomolecules) associated with aggression, violence, and hostility (AVH). In this systematic review, we aimed to identify which of these biomolecules have been predominantly studied in relation to AVH in human adults, and to obtain a general sense of the direction of the effects reported for each identified biomolecule. Eighty-one studies (out of 2914 initial abstracts) were included in the review, totaling 198 effects and 29,565 participants. Hormones, particularly testosterone and cortisol, were by far the most studied biomolecules (57.58 %), followed by cytokines (14.14 %), proteins (9.09 %), and neurotransmitters (4.55 %). Out of all extracted statistical effects, 15.1 % reported a negative association, 45.5 % reported no association, and 39.4 % reported a positive association between AVH and the biomolecules, although this pattern varied substantially for individual biomolecules. We also identified some research on biomolecules pertaining to the immune system, which could turn out to play crucial roles in advancing our understanding of AVH. These quantitative insights into the current state of biochemical research on AVH in human adults provide a basis for shaping a broader and more integrative research agenda for studying AVH.
KW - Aggression
KW - Biomolecules
KW - Cells
KW - Hormones
KW - Hostility
KW - Violence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204981899&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.avb.2024.102002
DO - 10.1016/j.avb.2024.102002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85204981899
SN - 1359-1789
VL - 79
JO - Aggression and Violent Behavior
JF - Aggression and Violent Behavior
M1 - 102002
ER -