... been quite successful in providing information about physiological components of aggression in animals; however using it in human subjects throws up various ethical concerns and specific cognitive factor difficulties. While experimentation on animals cannot fully explain why humans exhibit and inhibit aggression, it can provide clues as to the primitive neurological basis of the subject (Panskepp 1998). This paper will explore the neuroanatomical bases of aggression, including the three different aggression brain circuits, as well as the neuropharmacological bases of aggression, including the role of the 5-HT, norepinephrine and testosterone. Viewing the subject firstly from a neuroanatomical standpoint, there are three main structures which mediate aggression - the amygdala, the hypothalamus and the periaqueductal gray (PAG); all three are affected by input from many other brain structures. It has been argued that there are three 'types' of aggression to match the three structures' circuits listed above. These are the 'predatory' (quiet-biting) ...

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