Characterization Of Perpetrators Of Domestic Violence

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In a collaborative study with NIMH using PET [11C] DASB to image the serotonin transporter, we showed that among aggressive alcoholics, non-aggressive alcoholics, and healthy controls there were no brain regions that had a significant alteration in serotonin binding. Based on our previous research findings, we developed a model to understand how biological abnormalities can potentially explain the behaviors and diagnoses exhibited by perpetrators of domestic violence. According to this model, changes in neurotransmitters lead to a heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli , anxiety , and conditioned fear which in turn gives rise to either innate behaviors (e.g., fight, flight, and shut down) or learned fear avoidant behaviors designed to avoid anxiety ( e.g., alcohol consumption, self-injurious acts, and obsessive behaviors). Currently we are analyzing cerebral spinal fluid to determine the concentrations of various excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters present in alcoholics with and without a history of aggression, and healthy controls. Data from MRI scans are being analyzed to determine if there are any structural differences between violent and non-violent alcoholics.