Which statement best describes Intermittent Explosive Disorder?

• A. Outbursts are premeditated to gain rewards.
• B. Outbursts are brief and followed by amnesia.
• C. The disorder includes an age criterion of at least 6 years.
• D. Outbursts are not premeditated and not for any reward.

Answer: (C)

Intermittent Explosive Disorder is defined by recurrent aggressive outbursts that are disproportionate to the trigger and are not premeditated or aimed at obtaining a reward. A key diagnostic rule is that onset cannot occur before to age 6 years, meaning the condition is diagnosed only in children older than or equal to 6. This age criterion is a defining boundary that helps distinguish pathological aggression from normal developmentally appropriate tantrums and from other disorders with different onset patterns. Among the statements, this age-related rule stands out as the most specific diagnostic anchor for IED. The other points—outbursts not being premeditated and not for a reward—are consistent with IED but are less central to defining the disorder in isolation, and statements about premeditation or amnesia do not fit the disorder’s profile.