Mild learning difficulties and offending behaviour--is there a link with monoamine oxidase A deficiency?

We have attempted to replicate the findings of Brunner et al., who described a large Dutch kindred where several males were of borderline intelligence and showed characteristically aggressive and sometimes dangerous or extremely antisocial behaviour. The genetic defect for this syndrome was assigned to the p11-p21 region of the X chromosome following linkage analysis in a single kindred. Subsequent sequencing of a candidate gene, monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), at the position of maximum linkage revealed a causative mutation in the coding region of the MAO-A gene in position 936. In addition to identifying both the phenotype and the associated mutation found by Brunner et al., we also wished to test the hypothesis that mutations elsewhere in the MAO-A gene could cause the low intelligence quotient/personality disorder phenotype associated with low urinary catecholamine degradation products. Fifty-four male subjects similar in clinical characteristics to the affected males in the Dutch kindred were identified within secure mental health facilities in England and Wales. All were assessed using the antisocial personality disorder section of the SCID-II interview instrument, and information about their offending behaviour and family history was obtained from the medical notes. A blood and early-morning urine sample was obtained from each patient. Analysis of urinary excretion patterns of biogenic amines and their metabolites, represented as ratios of normetanefrine to vanillylmandelic acid, revealed two possible cases of MAO-A deficiency, which were found to be negative after resampling.

Urinary excretion of bufotenin (N,N-dimethyl-5-hydroxytryptamine) is increased in suspicious violent offenders: a confirmatory study.

We previously reported that violent offenders with paranoid symptoms or whose violent actions had been directed against family members had higher urinary levels of bufotenin than other violent offenders. In the present study, patients were evaluated with the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP), and urinary levels of bufotenin were determined by mass spectrometry. In drug-free patients suspiciousness was positively correlated, and socialization was negatively correlated, with urinary bufotenin excretion. These two personality variables were strongly interdependent. In drug users, bufotenin excretion was correlated positively with social desirability and negatively with irritability, but not with suspiciousness. Bufotenin excretion was not found to be associated with violence toward family members in the present study. The results are in keeping with the earlier finding that violent offenders with paranoid personality traits have higher urinary levels of bufotenin than other violent offenders.

Abnormality of catecholamines balance relating to social deviance.

Approximately a quarter of maximum security hospital patients convicted of highly deviant crimes exhibited low 'anxiety-type' psychophysiological responsivity to stressors together with an abnormal catecholamine balance during stressor anticipation which resulted in noradrenalin to adrenalin ratios in excess of 5.5, an abnormally high value not exceeded by any control subjects and a result which is significant (p less than 0.005).

[Activity of the sympatho-adrenal system in patients with hysterical psychopathy and psychasthenia]. / Aktivnost' simpatiko-adrenalovoi sistemy u bol'nykh istericheskoi psikhopatiei i psikhasteniei.

The paper is concerned with studies of the sympathoadrenal system activity by the indices of urine excretion of catecholamine and dofa in patients with hysterical and psychasthenic psychopathy. The disorders inherent in each of the groups are demonstrated. The patients with hysterical psychopathy show an exhaustion of all links in the catecholamine metabolism, while the patients with psychasthenical psychopathy an exhaustion of the noradrenaline link. In attempting to explain the mechanisms of disturbed activity in the sympathoadrenal system in both groups the role of the functional state of nonspecific activizing brain systems was taken into consideration.

Urinary free cortisol secretion in habitually violent offenders.

Male violent offenders (n = 90) and residivious arsonists (n = 10) were investigated by urinary (24 h) free cortisol measurements at mental examination on a psychiatric department. The measurements were made with competitive protein-binding radioassay. Only among the habitually violent offenders with antisocial personality were the values low when compared with other violent offenders, antisocial personality without the habitually violent tendency, and male clinic personnel. Poor motivation already in school, truancy, attention deficit and undersocialized aggressive conduct disorder problems seemed to be connected with the low cortisol levels.

Urinary catecholamines, stress, and psychopathy: a study of arrested men awaiting trial.

The urinary excretion of adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) in a group of 24 arrested men was measured in three experimental sessions: 2 weeks, 1 week, and immediately before trial. The first session was assumed to represent a moderate laboratory stress due to the novelty of the situation and the last session a real life stress, associated with anticipation of appearing in court. Both are superimposed on the sustained real life stress of being in jail. There was no significant increase in A or NA in the last, presumedly the most stressful session. However, when personality measures were taken into account, there were significant and consistent differences in the pattern of A and NA excretion over the sessions between subgroups of subjects. Subjects high in psychopathy did not react with an increase in either A or NA in the last, presumedly the most stressful session. They also had conspicuously lower NA excretion, as compared to subjects low in psychopathy and relative to their own A excretion. Subjects low in psychopathy showed a reversed pattern.