[The neuronal foundations of human violence]

The purpose of this work was to collect and integrate the information available from different studies on the neuronal foundations of human violence and to highlight the most recent fundamental contributions made by neuroimaging techniques.

First, we offer a general view of the studies carried out in animals and then a description of the first approximations to the study of this subject. Following that, some of the most recent neuroimaging studies are outlined and the relationship between cerebral lateralisation and aggression is analysed. Finally, we consider the role played by the autonomous nervous system and several explanatory theoretical models are put forward.

Broadly speaking, research conducted in animals and in humans coincides to a large extent. Although the first approximations to the study of aggression and violence offered a large amount of information about the neuronal foundations of these kinds of conduct, the most recent studies using neuroimaging have meant an important step forward in this field. These studies have shown that different samples of violent subjects present a number of structural and functional anomalies in the temporal and frontal lobes, which differ according to the type of aggression. It has also been suggested that there could be a higher rate of antisocial conduct among left-handed individuals. In addition, for several different psychophysiological variables, such as electrodermal activity and heart rate, there is a lower level and a lower response to stimulation, and a number of different integrating theoretical models have been proposed in an attempt to account for aggression and violence in humans.