Aggression in Proximity Relationships (APR): Neurodynamics is the third title in three volumes. All forms of aggression, violence, and abuse in intimate, proximity relationships including those defined under traditional concepts of domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are addressed in this title. In this title, there is an application of neuroscientific research that explains mitigating neurological influences on aggression.
The term neurodynamics was coined to explain the neurological processes involved in APR. Neurodynamics refers to the interactive neurological cognitive, emotive, and behavioral processes and consequential outcomes of interpersonal aggression among individuals who share close relational ties. The brain is viewed as an integrated functional whole unit. Each process is involved in all manifestations or aggression.
This book has three main divisions. In the first section, there is an overview of the brain, key brain regions, and their functions. In the second section, there is a discussion of risk factors associated with neurodevelopment. The third section of this book addresses psychiatric and personality disorders and the way that these conditions impinge on APR.
The chapters in the first section of this title begin with an explanation of brain models used in the study of neuroscience. There is an overview of key brain regions, functions, and processes. The chapters in this section provide the foundation for the reader to understand the neurodynamics of APR.
The chapters in the second section of this title discuss early signs of aggression in neonates and infants/ there is a brief discussion of whether the manifestation of aggression in neonates and infants is due to genetic or environmental influences. There is also an exploration of fetal, neonatal, and early childhood developmental experiences that are risk factors for aggression and neurodevelopmental disorders that present in childhood and adolescence, and as APR in adulthood.
Attachment theory is used in several models to explain APR. In the remaining chapters of section two, there is a discussion of the neurological basis of fetal and neurodevelopmental attachment. The brain circuit model of attachment, procedural learning, and automaticity, and the social-moral circuits and their relationship to APR are discussed.
Personality disorders are enduring patterns of behavioral characteristics that impact APR. In the third section of this title, there is an outline of the diagnostic criteria for identifying a personality disorder and the impact of personality disorders on APR. Psychiatric conditions manifested as psychological and mental impairments, dysfunctions, and disordered states have a significant impact on APR. There is a discussion of these conditions in the third section of this title.
