In another recent study, researchers examined a group of men who were registered at temporary employment agencies and lived in the general population, but were assessed as violent and antisocial. Compared with normal individuals, on average, the violent men had smaller prefrontal areas. Researchers also recently tested another group of people assessed to have moderately violent and impulsive personalities. Again the prefrontal cortex and aggression circuit seem to play a role. The hot heads performed poorly on several tasks thought to involve the front brain area, as well as the amygdala, compared with their more even-keeled counterparts, according to preliminary results.
Many questions still remain unanswered.
For example, it s unclear if changes in the brain are definitely a cause of violence. Perhaps they are a consequence of the emotion. Nevertheless, the findings are opening up an exciting new field of research. Illustration by Lydia Kibiuk. Society members may submit relevant current research references for consideration to list with this article.