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Updated: Mar 27, 2026
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Published on: July 4, 2013
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Aggressive behavior in humans: Genes and pathways identified through association studies.
Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo1,2,3, Bru Cormand1,2,3
1Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Summary
Genetic factors influence aggressive behavior. Candidate gene studies link aggression to neurotransmitters and hormones, while genome-wide studies suggest roles for signaling pathways and neurodevelopment.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral genetics
- Neuroscience
- Human genetics
Background:
- Aggressive behavior is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
- Numerous studies have investigated the genetic underpinnings of human aggression.
- This review focuses on candidate gene and genome-wide association studies, excluding psychiatric/neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and summarize existing genetic association studies on human aggressive behavior.
- To analyze pathway and functional enrichment in genome-wide association study (GWAS) data related to aggression.
- To identify potential genetic factors contributing to aggressive behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of candidate gene association studies (CGAS).
- Analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data, focusing on aggression-related phenotypes.
- Pathway and functional enrichment analysis of GWAS findings.
Main Results:
- CGAS frequently identified genes involved in dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission, and hormone regulation.
- GWAS have not yet yielded genome-wide significant associations for aggression.
- Top nominal GWAS findings implicate signaling pathways (e.g., axon guidance, estrogen receptor signaling), neurodevelopment, and synaptic plasticity.
Conclusions:
- Genetic factors, including neurotransmission and hormone regulation, are implicated in aggressive behavior.
- While GWAS have not reached significance, they highlight potential pathways and neurodevelopmental processes.
- Future research requires larger sample sizes, precise phenotyping, and standardized measurements for robust genetic discovery.
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