Essentials: The Biology of Aggression, Mating & Arousal | Dr. David Anderson

In this Huberman Lab Essentials (hubermanlab.com/essentials) episode, my guest is Dr. David Anderson, PhD, a professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). We discuss the brain circuits that underlie how emotions emerge and shape behaviors, including the neural control of fear, aggression and pain. We also explore how hormones and neuromodulators influence these emotional states, and why understanding these hidden internal processes is essential for improving future mental health treatments.

Read the show notes at hubermanlab.com/episode/essentials-the-biology….

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) David Anderson

(00:00:20) Emotions vs States

(00:01:53) Emotion Qualities: Persistence & Generalization

(00:04:04) Aggression

(00:06:39) Sponsor: BetterHelp

(00:07:41) Evolution of Fear & Aggression, Offensive vs Defensive Aggression

(00:09:57) Homeostatic Behaviors & Hydraulic Pressure

(00:12:58) Testosterone, Estrogen & Aggression

(00:14:51) Female vs Male Aggression

(00:16:48) Sponsor: AG1

(00:18:13) Mating Behavior & Aggression; Sexual Violence

(00:21:48) Periaqueductal Gray, Pain Control & Fighting

(00:26:03) Sponsor: Function

(00:27:15) Tachykinin, Pain, Social Isolation & Aggression

(00:31:47) Emotions & Somatic Feeling; Vagus Nerve

(00:36:27) Acknowledgements & Future Direction

Disclaimer & Disclosures (hubermanlab.com/disclaimer)

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