Homicide, suicide and CSF 5‐HIAA

Abstract

Concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl glycol (HMPG) in lumbar spinal fluid were measured by mass fragmentography in 16 men convicted for criminal homicide, 22 men who had attempted suicide, and 39 healthy male control subjects. Those men who had killed a sexual partner, and those who had attempted suicide, had lower levels of the serotonin metabolite, 5-HIAA in spinal fluid than the controls. It is suggested that low levels of 5-HIAA in spinal fluid reflect a disorder of serotonin turnover, which makes the individual more prone to acts of violence in states of emotional turmoil.

Central nervous changes in social dysfunction: Autism, aggression, and psychopathy

“…These systems also play crucial roles in the regulation of aggression, where serotonin is thought to modulate and inhibit aggression driven by catecholamines. Serotonin activity, measured by its metabolite, 5-HIAA, in the CSF, has been consistently decreased in violent suicides [4] and destructive violence such as arson or the killing of a child or a sexual partner [45,81] but not in outward-directed instrumental violence [46,20,13,14]. In these studies, also HVA has sometimes been decreased, but only as an absolute concentration, not in relation to the 5-HIAA concentration.…”

Laboratory-Measured Aggressive Behavior of Women Acute Tryptophan Depletion and Augmentation

“…Serotonin dysfunction has been correlated with impulsive and violent criminal behaviors (Brown et al , 1982Lidberg et al 1985;Limson et al, 1991;Virkkunen and Närvänen 1987;Virkkunen et al 1994aVirkkunen et al , 1994b, alcohol abuse and dependence (Badawy et al 1995;Ballenger et al 1979;Banki 1981;Borg et al 1985;Moss 1987;Roy and Linnoila 1989), Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (Butler et al 1979;Cohen et al 1978Cohen et al , 1979, bulimia (Jimerson et al 1990(Jimerson et al , 1992, and suicide attempts (Asberg et al 1976(Asberg et al , 1986Banki and Arato 1983;López-Ibor et al 1985), as well as with children institutionalized for aggressive behavior (Kruesi 1989;Kruesi et al 1990Kruesi et al , 1992.…”

CSF 5-HIAA and Nighttime Activity in Free-Ranging Primates

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Men with low CNS serotonin turnover, as measured by cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid : Sleep, serotonin, impulsivity, primate, aggression Psychiatric research suggests that a reduced turnover rate of serotonin in the central nervous system (CNS), as measured by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), is a risk factor for impaired impulse control, violent behavior, and premature mortality from suicide and violence (Faustman et al 1990;Kruesi et al 1990;Lidberg et al 1985;Linnoila et al Received February 12, 1999; revised June 16, 1999; accepted August 20, 1999. Dr. P.T.

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