Abstract
This study was done to further analyze the neural mechanisms underlying aggressive behavior associated with psychomotor or temporal lobe seizures. The studies revealed that superkindling the aggressive system by sequential stimulations at seizureinducing thresholds, of two or more sites in the limbic, hypothalamic, and basal ganglia structures facilitated the production of aggressive seizures. Aggressive behavior in the freely moving cat was evaluated in relation to the occurrence of hissing and growling during stimulation, after-discharge and postictal period. The behavior was correlated with the frequency of the elicited seizures and the seizure durations. Aggression did develop as a component behavioral manifestation of the limbic (psychomotor) seizure. Development of aggressive seizures was facilitated by “priming” the aggressive system. Optimum levels of aggressive behavior occurred with seizures of medium duration. Catecholamine blockers tended to attentuate the occurrence of aggression, whereas the agonist tended to facilitate it. Once the aggressive system was rendered hyperexcitable, exteroceptive stimuli also evoked aggressive attack behavior. It was concluded that repeatedly recurring limbic system seizures through superkindling mechanisms can eventually render the limbic-basal ganglia-preoptico-hypothalamic aggressive system hyper-responsive to both recurring seizures and to exteroceptive stimuli with resulting aggressive behavior with or without an accompanying seizure.
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Abbreviations
- AA:
-
anterior amygdaloid area
- AC:
-
nucleus accumbeus
- AD:
-
anterior dorsal nucleus
- AM:
-
anterior medial nucleus
- AV:
-
anterior ventral nucleus
- BA:
-
basalis amygdala
- C:
-
bed nucleus of anterior commissure
- CA:
-
anterior commissure
- CA:
-
centralis amygdala (Fig. 4)
- CC:
-
corpus callosum
- CH:
-
optic chiasm
- CL:
-
claustrum
- CN:
-
caudate nucleus
- CO:
-
corticalis amygdala
- DA:
-
nucleus dorsalis anterior-septum
- DB:
-
nucleus diagonal band of broca
- DE:
-
nucleus dorsalis externa-septum
- DM:
-
nucleus dorsalis intermedius-septum
- DM:
-
dorsomedial nucleus-hypothalamus
- EN:
-
nucleus en-topeduncularis
- F:
-
fimbria
- FX:
-
fornix
- GF:
-
gyrus fornicatus
- GG:
-
gyrus genualis
- GR:
-
gyrus rostralis
- GP:
-
globus pallidus
- H:
-
hippocampus
- HA:
-
anterior hypothalamus
- HL:
-
lateral hypothalamus
- HVM:
-
ventromedial nucleus-hypothalamus
- IC:
-
internal capsule
- L:
-
nucleus lateralis-septum
- LA:
-
lateralis amygdala (Fig. 4)
- LA:
-
left amygdala
- LAH:
-
left amygdala-hippocampus
- LENTO:
-
left en-topeduncular nucleus-tractus opticus
- LGPHA:
-
left globus pallidus-hippocampus-amygdala
- LGPOT:
-
left globus pallidus-optic tract
- LHy:
-
left hypothalamus
- LIC:
-
left internal capsule
- LOrC:
-
left orbital cortex
- LPO:
-
left preoptic area
- LS:
-
left septum
- LSTh:
-
left septum-thalamus
- M:
-
nucleus medialis-septum
- MA:
-
medialis amygdala
- MP:
-
nucleus medialis posterior-septum
- NTO:
-
nucleus of the olfactory tract
- NPA:
-
nucleus paraventricularis
- OT:
-
optic tract
- P:
-
putamen (Fig. 4)
- P:
-
peduncle
- Pir:
-
piriform cortex
- PV:
-
periventricular nucleus
- R:
-
reticular nucleus
- RA:
-
right amygdala
- RAEnC:
-
right amygdala-entrohinal cortex
- RAGPP:
-
right amygdala-globus pallidus-putamen
- RAH:
-
right amgydala-hippocampus
- RAPeC:
-
right amygdalaperiamygdaloid cortex
- RCG:
-
right cingulate gyrus
- RCN:
-
right caudate nucleus
- RCNS:
-
right caudate nucleus-septum
- RE:
-
nucleus reunions
- RGPOT:
-
right globus pallidus-optic tract
- RGPP:
-
right globus pallidus-putamen
- RGPr:
-
right gyrus proreus
- RGR:
-
right gyrus rostralis
- RHy:
-
right hypothalamus
- RLHy:
-
right lateral hypothalamus
- RPO:
-
right preoptic area
- RPOS:
-
right preoptic-septum
- RS:
-
right septum
- RSCN:
-
right septum-caudate nucleus
- RSTh:
-
right septum-thalamus
- SCH:
-
suprachias-matic nucleus
- SO:
-
supraoptic nucleus
- ST:
-
stria terminalis
- TMT:
-
mamillothalamic tract
- TE:
-
bed nucleus of stria terminalis
- V:
-
ventricle
- VL:
-
ventrolateral nucleus
- VM:
-
ventromedial nucleus
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Andy, O.J., Velamati, S. Limbic system seizures and aggressive behavior (superkindling effects). Pay. J. Biol. Sci. 13, 251–264 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03002262
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03002262