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Decoding the bidirectional links between alcohol misuse and aggression: toward a unified translational framework.
Nicholas M Russell1, Micah D Frier2, Marco Bortolato3
1Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2409 University Ave., Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Psychopharmacology
|October 31, 2025
Summary
Alcohol misuse and aggression have a complex, two-way link. Shared vulnerabilities and reinforcing effects create a cycle, influencing neurobehavioral mechanisms and treatment strategies for both conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Alcohol misuse and aggression share complex bidirectional associations.
- Converging evidence suggests shared genetic, neurobiological, and environmental vulnerabilities.
- These behaviors can mutually increase risk, creating a reinforcing cycle over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize epidemiological, clinical, and experimental findings on alcohol misuse and aggression.
- To establish an integrated framework linking these two behaviors.
- To introduce a translational perspective connecting human and animal research.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological studies.
- Synthesis of clinical findings.
- Integration of experimental and preclinical research.
Main Results:
- Alcohol use can facilitate aggression by disrupting executive control and increasing emotional reactivity.
- Aggression can increase vulnerability to alcohol misuse, with aggressive traits often preceding problematic drinking.
- Shared dysfunctions in prefrontal-limbic circuits underpin both behaviors.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between alcohol misuse and aggression is dynamic and bidirectional.
- Overlapping neurobehavioral mechanisms are central to this relationship.
- Integrating clinical and preclinical models offers targets for mechanistic investigation and therapeutic development.
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