The Analysis of the Association of the MAOA Gene Polymorphism with Aggressive and Hostile Behaviour Strategies in Adolescents and Young People

The article brings forward the results of the study of the relationship between polymorphisms of the MAOA gene and psychological characteristics such as hostility and types of aggressive behavior. Aggression is considered as any intentional actions aimed at causing harm to another person, group of people or animal. The authors of the article mean by hostility a negative, opposition attitude to the world; it is predominantly of a cognitive nature and presupposes the presence of negative emotions and behavioral manifestations. This paper describes various psychophysiological predictors of aggressive behavior and examines the results of domestic and foreign research of the relationship between polymorphic variants of the MAOA gene with various psychological characteristics. The authors carried out an interdisciplinary molecular-genetic and psychological study. 285 persons aged 12–19 years took part in it. In order to identify polymorphic variants of the MAOA gene they used the method for the isolation of genomic DNA from buccal epithelial cells. Psychological tools included the questionnaire Bass–Darky which is reckoned one of the most reliable methods for studying aggression. For statistical processing of the results the PSPP 0.8.5 program was used. The results of the carried out study in the group of adolescents and young people show that the low-activity variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene (LPR) in adolescents and young people is the most signiYcant among the genetic polymorphisms which determine the risk of aggressive and hostile behavior. The data should be taken into account in psycho-preventive activities.