SEROTONIN, SOCIAL-STATUS AND AGGRESSION

Serotonin, social status and aggression appear to be linked in many an imal species, including humans. The linkages are complex, and, for the most part, details relating the amine to the behavior remain obscure. During the past year, important advances have been made in a crustace an model system relating serotonin and aggression. The findings includ e the demonstration that serotonin injections will cause transient rev ersals in the unwillingness of subordinate animals to engage in agonis tic encounters, and that at specific synaptic sites involved in activa tion of escape behavior, the direction of the modulation by serotonin depends on the social status of the animal.