ABSTRACT
This book re-examines, in a non-partisan manner, the thesis that acts of ‘aggression’ or violence can be caused by ingestion of alcohol. Berry and Brain maintain that alcohol generally has a biphasic action on neuronal excitability. Berry and Brain have shown that, like the brain, the endocrine system is highly integrated such that any deformation by alcohol is likely to have repercussions throughout the entire body. Ethanol may also change how experiences are perceived leading to modifications of subsequent behaviour. The association between alcohol and violence is a prime candidate for a truly multi-disciplinary effort, involving a successful ‘marriage’ between a variety of trusted behavioural approaches, and truly sophisticated biological investigation which does not concentrate on a single parameter and takes full account of the time dimension. Obviously, there is great scope for meaningful collaboration between behavioural scientists and biologists who are attracted to interdisciplinary science.
