The Neurobiology of Aggression
Dr. Nathan Kolla, Assistant Professor and head of the Violence Prevention Neurobiological Research Unit at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), is investigating the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity in a variety of psychiatric disorders.
He is leading a study that uses positron emission tomography to measure fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in the brains of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). FAAH is a component of the endocannabinoid system that controls cell signalling pathways. It has also been implicated in the pathophysiology of violence in ASPD and BPD. This Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded study aims to discover whether brain levels of FAAH are altered in ASPD and BPD participants who have been violent.
In another recent study, Dr. Kolla is using magnetic resonance imaging to determine whether a psychological treatment aimed to reduce aggression is associated with brain changes. He is examining young people with conduct disorder (CD) who will undergo brain scanning and have blood samples taken prior to their involvement in a program called Stop Now And Plan (SNAP). After finishing SNAP treatment, they will undergo scanning and biomarker analysis again to determine how clinical treatment relates to brain changes.
