The Relationship between Aggressiveness and Gender in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the impact of gender and social gender on the level and typology of interictal aggressiveness in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Material and Methods: 40 adult patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) and 86 healthy individuals were included. The qualitative and quantitative aggressiveness assess- ment was made with Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory. The gender role behavior was measured with Bem Sex Role Inventory. Results: Patients with TLE didn’t differ from healthy subjects on the total scores of motor and attitudinal hostility components, but scored higher on subscales “resentment” and “guilt”. The comparative gender analysis showed there were no phenomenological differences in people with TLE. Assault dominated in healthy male subjects, resentment—in healthy female subjects. The prevalence of feminine social gender type was significantly higher in people with TLE in comparison to healthy people (55% vs. 26%, p < 0.01). In patients with TLE, the number of masculine traits positively correlated with indirect hostility subscale and attitudinal hostility component scores. In healthy subjects, the masculine traits positively correlated with assault.