Aggression classification and treatment response

This preliminary study investigated whether the aggression subtypes derived from the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) are related to treatment response. The subjects were 28 aggressive conduct-disordered children (25 males, 3 fe males), ranging in age from 9.8 to 17.0 years (mean age = 12.69 years), who participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of lithium as a t reatment for reducing aggression. We used the Predatory-Affective Index of the AQ to classify subjects into "predatory" (planned) or "affective" (expl osive) subtypes of aggression and then related this classification to treat ment response. This index did not differentiate placebo baseline responders from nonresponders, However, the Index did significantly differentiate res ponders and nonresponders during the experimental treatment period, regardl ess of whether they received lithium or placebo. Treatment response was ass ociated with a more affective and less predatory subtype of aggression. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in children to show an a ssociation between the aggression subtype and treatment response.