Ka. Miczek et al., ALCOHOL, BENZODIAZEPINE-GABA-A RECEPTOR COMPLEX AND AGGRESSION - ETHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN RODENTS AND PRIMATES, Journal of studies on alcohol, 1993, pp. 170-179
Research in animals has only recently been successful in reliably mimi
cking the long-established link between alcohol and heightened aggress
ive behavior. The present review highlights the large individual diffe
rences in die effects of acute low alcohol doses on aggressive behavio
r in rodent and primate species, paralleling the human condition. Subp
opulations of both species show reliable and repeatable enhancement of
aggressive behavior when administered low, acute alcohol doses. Stati
stical analysis of the temporal patterns of aggressive behavior indica
te that alcohol prolongs aggressive bouts or ''bursts'' and increases
the number of aggressive behaviors within each burst. However, the lat
ency to initiate attack and the time between aggressive bursts are rel
atively unaltered by alcohol. These alcohol-induced increases in aggre
ssion can be potentiated by benzodiazepine agonists and prevented by a
ntagonists. In addition, highly aggressive animals can be differentiat
ed from nonaggressive ones at the GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor comp
lex. These data suggest an important link between alcohol, aggression
and the GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor complex.