EXECUTIVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AS MEDIATORS OF ALCOHOL-RELATED AGGRESSION

A large body of literature has documented a relation between executive cognitive functioning (ECF) and aggression. ECF encompasses 'higher-o rder' mental abilities such as attention, planning, organization, abst ract reasoning, and self-monitoring. ECF has been defined as the abili ty to utilize these functions to self-regulate peal-directed behaviour . The prefrontal cortex represents the primary neurological substrate that subserves ECF. Acute alcohol consumption has been shown to disrup t ECF/prefrontal cortical functioning. Literature is reviewed linking ECF/prefrontal cortical functioning, alcohol consumption, and aggressi ve behaviour. A hypothetical model, based on empirical data, is presen ted, suggesting that ECF/prefrontal cortical functioning is an underly ing aetiological mechanism for the relation between acute alcohol cons umption and aggressive behaviour.