A Small Bite of an Emotion Called “Anger”
Biological Factors of Anger
Dispositional anger and aggressive behavior are linked to a complex hierarchy of neural systems, hormones, and neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS). Key brain regions involved in processing anger include the amygdala and superior temporal sulcus, while the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate sulcus are crucial for the cognitive control, expression, experience, and rumination of anger.
These cortical systems function by initiating, integrating, and regulating activities in the subcortical limbic system, which is involved in memory, affect, perception, and motivation. As regulatory cognitive processes develop, they become more habitual and automatic, enhancing our ability to appraise and solve problems in anger-inducing situations.
Interestingly, anger, frustration, and irritability are distinct from other negative emotions due to their role in reward-seeking behaviors. Relative deactivation of right frontal cortex and activation in left- prefrontal cortex is indicative of anger and behavioral approach motivation. Quick reminder that left prefrontal cortex is more active when experiencing positive and right when experiencing negative emotions. This may make more sense, explained by how behavioral approach enhances detection and monitoring potential rewards involving dopamine neurons and activations in ventral striatum. At the same time monitoring and detection of perceived hindrance to attaining a reward and motivation to overcome them (i.e frustration) involves serotonin neurons, changes in activation in anterior insula and prefrontal cortex brain regions. Thus, low levels of serotonin has been implicated in the etiology of poor emotion regulation and chronic anger.
Reminding that serotonin acts as a behavioral inhibitor antagonist to dopamine in many brain areas, especially in the limbic area (a set of structures in the brain that deal with e.g. emotions). Acting as a behavioral inhibitor, serotonin affects our control of impulsiveness and aggression as well as impulsive sensation seeking (ImpSS).
Serotonin regulates the inhibitor factor related negatively to ImpSS. The lower the serotonin secretion the more likely the impulsive and aggressive behavior is to occur due the levels of dopamine secretion. Serotonin´s capability to create balanced relationship and communicate with dopamine about the levels of secretion, helps us feel content, saturate the excessive urge to reward seeking and have better emotion regulation capacity.
5.2024
