Aggressive behavior puts individuals at high risk for a variety of antisocial behaviors in addition to substance abuse, and such aggressive behavior is a major component of the diagnostic criteria for childhood conduct disorder. Adolescents and adults with a history of childhood conduct disorder typically continue to engage in antisocial behavior in adulthood, and are at the highest risk for substance abuse and criminal activity. For the past twenty years, the investigator's laboratory has been engaged in the study of human aggressive responding under controlled conditions. They have developed a laboratory procedure, the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP), which is now used in several laboratories in and outside the U.S. Since aggressive behavior is intimately involved in the risk for substance abuse, it is important to investigate some of the basic biological mechanisms that may regulate this behavior. Five GABA related drugs will be studied to determine their effects on aggressive behavior in two different populations of subjects: 1) Subjects with a history childhood conduct disorder (CD) + current antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), probably the highest risk population and; 2) Matched controls. The drugs to be employed are: baclofen a GABA B agonist, tiagabine a selective GABA reuptake inhibitor, lorazepam a GABA A agonist, flumazenil a specific GABA A antagonist and gabapentin a GABA releasing agent. The proposed research will provide information about the role of GABA in human aggression. Understanding the different biological factors involved in human aggression may lead to intervention/prevention strategies that will reduce the risk for substance dependence among high-risk populations.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA003166-18
Application #
6765235
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BBBP-2 (01))
Program Officer
Aigner, Thomas G
Project Start
1984-09-01
Project End
2006-06-30
Budget Start
2004-07-01
Budget End
2006-06-30
Support Year
18
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$297,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771594
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77225
Alcorn 3rd, Joseph L; Green, Charles E; Schmitz, Joy et al. (2015) Effects of oxytocin on aggressive responding in healthy adult men. Behav Pharmacol 26:798-804
Alcorn 3rd, Joseph L; Rathnayaka, Nuvan; Swann, Alan C et al. (2015) Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Aggressive Responding in Antisocial Personality Disorder. Psychol Rec 65:691-703
Gowin, Joshua L; Green, Charles E; Alcorn 3rd, Joseph L et al. (2013) The role of cortisol and psychopathy in the cycle of violence. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 227:661-72
Alcorn 3rd, Joseph L; Gowin, Joshua L; Green, Charles E et al. (2013) Aggression, impulsivity, and psychopathic traits in combined antisocial personality disorder and substance use disorder. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 25:229-32
Gowin, Joshua L; Green, Charles E; Alcorn, Joseph L et al. (2012) Chronic tiagabine administration and aggressive responding in individuals with a history of substance abuse and antisocial behavior. J Psychopharmacol 26:982-93
Lijffijt, Marijn; Cox, Blake; Acas, Michelle D et al. (2012) Differential relationships of impulsivity or antisocial symptoms on P50, N100, or P200 auditory sensory gating in controls and antisocial personality disorder. J Psychiatr Res 46:743-50
Gowin, Joshua L; Swann, Alan C; Moeller, F Gerard et al. (2010) Zolmitriptan and human aggression: interaction with alcohol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 210:521-31
Lane, Scott D; Gowin, Joshua L; Green, Charles E et al. (2009) Acute topiramate differentially affects human aggressive responding at low vs. moderate doses in subjects with histories of substance abuse and antisocial behavior. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 92:357-62
Lieving, Lori M; Cherek, Don R; Lane, Scott D et al. (2008) Effects of acute tiagabine administration on aggressive responses of adult male parolees. J Psychopharmacol 22:144-52
Nouvion, Sylvain O; Cherek, Don R; Lane, Scott D et al. (2007) Human proactive aggression: association with personality disorders and psychopathy. Aggress Behav 33:552-62

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