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Neuroendocrine response to fenfluramine challenge in boys. Associations with aggressive behavior and adverse rearing
D S Pine1, J D Coplan, G A Wasserman
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY, USA.
Insights
Aggressive behavior in young boys is linked to serotonin activity, as measured by prolactin response to fenfluramine challenge. Adverse social environments also correlate with this marker, independent of aggression levels.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Evidence suggests links between serotonin, aggression, and adverse childhood environments.
- This study investigates the prolactin response to fenfluramine challenge in aggressive boys and those from adverse social backgrounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between aggressive behavior, adverse rearing conditions, and central serotonergic activity in young boys.
- To assess the prolactin response to fenfluramine challenge as a marker of serotonergic function.
Main Methods:
- 34 younger brothers of convicted delinquents were assessed for psychiatric status and social-rearing environments.
- Two years later, psychiatric status and central serotonergic activity (via fenfluramine challenge) were reassessed.
Main Results:
- Increased aggressive behavior correlated positively with prolactin response to fenfluramine challenge.
- Adverse rearing circumstances also showed a positive correlation with prolactin response, independent of aggression.
Conclusions:
- In young boys, aggressive behavior and adverse social circumstances are positively associated with a marker of central serotonergic activity.
- Findings highlight the interplay between neurobiology and environment in the development of aggression.
Background:
There is evidence of relationships among serotonin, aggressive behavior, and a childhood history of socially adverse-rearing conditions. This study examines the prolactin response to fenfluramine hydrochloride challenge in young boys who show clinically significant aggressive behavior or who are raised in a social environment that is conducive to the development of chronic aggression.
Methods:
A series of 34 younger brothers of convicted delinquents underwent standardized psychiatric and observation-based assessments of their social-rearing environments that were conducted during home visits. Approximately 2 years later, these boys underwent a reassessment of psychiatric status and an assessment of central serotonergic activity using the fenfluramine challenge procedure.
Results:
Increasing degrees of aggressive behavior at either assessment were positively correlated with the prolactin response to fenfluramine challenge. Furthermore, adverse-rearing circumstances that were conducive to the development of aggressive behavior also exhibited positive correlations with the prolactin response. This association between adverse rearing and the prolactin response was statistically independent of that between aggression and the prolactin response.
Conclusion:
In young boys, aggressive behavior and social circumstances that are conducive to the development of aggressive behavior are positively correlated with a marker of central serotonergic activity.