The "warrior" gene

The "warrior" gene can be found in 1/3 of men but it does not necessarily make them more violent. Mice with the "warrior" gene (a dysfunctional version of the MAO-A gene, a neuro-gene) bite and scratch more.

How about people? Such people have less grey matter in the communication between their prefrontal cortex and their amygdala and more stimulation in their amygdala (the part of the brain which alerts us to danger). But nurture also plays a big part in whether such people exhibit aggressive behaviour.

People with Intermittent Explosive Disorder perceive danger when there may not be any. But do people with IED have the "warrior" gene? NO!

A combination of factors (mainly environment) determines whether someone will have IED. Therefore this is good news: we may not be able to change our genes but we definitely can change our environment.