Clinical Studies Investigating Aggressive Behaviors And

酒精中毒通常与攻击性行为和饮食改变或缺乏有关。研究表明，饮酒与家庭暴力实施者的暴力行为之间存在密切联系。然而，酒精诱导攻击行为的实际机制却知之甚少。 目前，我们正在进行一项研究，以确定是否与5-羟色胺再摄取抑制剂治疗可以减少攻击性的个人特点是频繁发生的家庭暴力。迄今为止，已有42名受试者入组本研究。功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）被用来确定当参与者解释威胁性和非威胁性stiumli时，肇事者，非暴力酗酒者和健康对照之间是否存在显着差异。在肇事者服用安慰剂或氟西汀三个月后，重复进行功能性磁共振成像。参与者的攻击性将被检查与：功能磁共振成像结果，药物作用，和5-羟色胺转运蛋白的基因型。核磁共振成像的结果也被分析，以确定家庭暴力的肇事者是否在与恐惧条件反射和恐惧回避相关的大脑结构上存在差异。 二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）是一种必需的欧米茄-3脂肪酸，选择性地集中在大脑中。由于DHA是暴力和敌意的病因学中的一个潜在的重要因素，我们分析了家庭暴力肇事者的脑脊液和血浆样本。目前，我们有一份出版的手稿显示，低血浆DHA水平与家庭暴力肇事者的脑脊液促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素水平较高有关。第二份手稿已提交出版，表明红细胞叶酸水平与血浆DHA显着相关。 在最近的出版物中，我们表明，在健康对照外周血糖浓度与多巴胺代谢物，HVA和去甲肾上腺素代谢物，MHPG的CSF浓度显着相关。这些相关性可能代表脑神经递质活性和血糖之间的稳态关系。

Alcoholism is frequently associated with aggressive behaviors and dietary changes or deficiencies. It has been shown that there is a strong association between alcohol consumption and the violent behaviors exhibited by perpetrators of domestic violence. However, the actual mechanism(s) by which alcohol induces aggressive behavior is poorly understood. Currently we are conducting a study to determine if treatment with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor can reduce aggression in individuals characterized by frequent episodes of domestic violence. To date, 42 subjects have been enrolled in the study. Functional MRI (fMRI) is being used to assertain if there are significant differences between perpetrators, non-violent alcoholics, and healthy controls when participants interpret threatening and non-threatening stiumli. The fMRI is repeated after perpetrators have been on placebo or fluoxetine for three months. Participants' aggression will be examined in relation to: fMRI results, drug effect, and genotype of the serotonin transporter. Results from MRI imaging are also being analyzed to determine if perpetrators of domestic violence have differences in brain structures associated with fear conditioning and fear avoidance. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) an essential omega-3 fatty acid that is selectively concentrated in the brain. Because DHA is a potentially important factor in the etiology of violence and hostility, we have analyzed cerbrospinal fluid and plasma samples from perpetrators of domestic violence. Currently, we have a manuscript in press showing that low plasma DHA levels were correlated to higher cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin releasing hormone levels in perpetrators of domestic violence. A second manuscript has been submitted for publication showing that red blood cell folate levels were significantly correlated with plasma DHA. In a recent publication, we showed that in healthy controls peripheral blood glucose concentrations are significantly correlated with the CSF concentrations of the dopamine metabolite, HVA and the noradrenaline metabolite, MHPG. These correlations may represent a homeostatic relationship between brain neurotransmitter activity and blood glucose.