Modulation of Central Serotonin Affects Emotional Information Processing in Impulsive Aggressive Personality Disorder

Lee, Royce J.; Gill, Andrew D.; Chen, Bing; McCloskey, Michael S.; Coccaro, Emil F.

doi:10.1097/jcp.0b013e31825368b7

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In a laboratory aggression paradigm, tryptophan depletion was associated with reduced insula activity during selection of severity of aggressive response 89 . Acute challenges to the serotonergic system have also been shown to influence the processing of emotional faces 96 and associated neural activity. Tryptophan depletion modulated the functional connectivity that occurs between the amygdala and prefrontal regions specifically while processing angry faces, as opposed to neutral or sad faces 59 …”

Section: Neurochemistry and Pharmacology: Serotoninmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neurobiology of aggression and violence

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aggression and violence represent a significant public health concern and a clinical challenge for the mental healthcare provider. A great deal has been revealed regarding the neurobiology of violence and aggression, and an integration of this body of knowledge will ultimately serve to advance clinical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions. We will review here the latest findings regarding the neurobiology of aggression and violence. First, we will introduce the construct of aggression, with a focus on issues related to its heterogeneity, as well as the importance of refining the aggression phenotype in order to reduce pathophysiologic variability. Next we will examine the neuroanatomy of aggression and violence, focusing on regional volumes, functional studies, and interregional connectivity. Significant emphasis will be on the amygdala, as well as amygdala-frontal circuitry. Then we will turn our attention to the neurochemistry and molecular genetics of aggression and violence, examining the extensive findings on the serotonergic system, as well as the growing literature on the dopaminergic and vasopressinergic systems. We will also address the contribution of steroid hormones, namely, cortisol and testosterone. Finally, we will summarize these findings with a focus on reconciling inconsistencies and potential clinical implications; and, then we will suggest areas of focus for future directions in the field.

show abstract

Section: Neurochemistry and Pharmacology: Serotoninmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neurobiology of aggression and violence

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The main neurotransmitter implicated in the aggressive behavior of Maoa KO mice is 5-HT. The bulk of evidence has shown that impulsive aggression is consequent to a reduction of 5-HT content; for example, dietary restriction of the 5-HT precursor tryptophan impairs emotional processing and increases the susceptibility for outbursts in aggressive patients (Lee et al, 2012; Passamonti et al, 2012; Grady et al, 2013). As noted above, however, Maoa KO mice exhibit pronounced elevations of synaptic 5-HT levels; this apparent conundrum may be explained by the multifaceted contributions of 5-HT to the ontogeny of aggression across multiple developmental stages and different brain regions.…”

Section: Neurochemical Bases Of the Link Between Maoa And Aggressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of monoamine oxidase A in aggression: Current translational developments and future challenges

Godar

Fite

McFarlin

et al. 2016

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Drawing upon the recent resurgence of biological criminology, several studies have highlighted a critical role for genetic factors in the ontogeny of antisocial and violent conduct. In particular, converging lines of evidence have documented that these maladaptive manifestations of aggression are influenced by monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), the enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of brain serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. The interest on the link between MAOA and aggression was originally sparked by Han Brunner’s discovery of a syndrome characterized by marked antisocial behaviors in male carriers of a nonsense mutation of this gene. Subsequent studies showed that MAOA allelic variants associated with low enzyme activity moderate the impact of early-life maltreatment on aggression propensity. In spite of overwhelming evidence pointing to the relationship between MAOA and aggression, the neurobiological substrates of this link remain surprisingly elusive; very little is also known about the interventions that may reduce the severity of pathological aggression in genetically predisposed subjects. Animal models offer a unique experimental tool to investigate these issues; in particular, several lines of transgenic mice harboring total or partial loss-of-function Maoa mutations have been shown to recapitulate numerous psychological and neurofunctional endophenotypes observed in humans. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the link between MAOA and aggression; in particular, we will emphasize how an integrated translational strategy coordinating clinical and preclinical research may prove critical to elucidate important aspects of the pathophysiology of aggression, and identify potential targets for its diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

show abstract

“…For instance, a negative correlation between an indicator for 5-HT transporter binding and aggression was found in personality disorder patients with IED (Coccaro et al, 2010;Coccaro, 2012) and IED patients show reduced 5-HT transporter availability in the anterior cingulate cortex (Frankle et al, 2005). Moreover, males with IED tend to increase intensity ratings of angry faces after tryptophan depletion that reduces 5-HT availability (Lee et al, 2012). Conversely, fluoxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that increases 5-HT availability) was shown to reduce impulsive aggressive behavior in patients with personality disorders and comorbid IED (Coccaro et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Escitalopram Administration on Face Processing in Intermittent Explosive Disorder: An fMRI Study

Cremers

Lee

Keedy

et al. 2015

Neuropsychopharmacol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The neurobiological underpinnings of intermittent explosive disorder (IED) are traditionally linked to deficiencies in the serotonergic system. In this study, we investigated the effects of escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), on brain activation during face processing. We expected that escitalopram would reduce amygdala activity in IED and in addition, we explored the effect in other social-emotional-related brain regions. A total of 17 subjects with current IED and 14 healthy controls participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced fMRI face processing study. The analysis focused on the faces compared to a fixation baseline contrast, and a factorial model with Group as between-subject and Drug as within-subject factor was tested. Group × Drug interaction effects were found in the amygdala (small volume corrected) and the left temporal parietal junction (TPJ; whole-brain corrected). Escitalopram increased amygdala activation in controls, but surprisingly not in IED. However, the TPJ showed increased activity in IED on escitalopram compared with placebo. The TPJ is associated with social-cognitive processes, such as perspective taking and empathy. The TPJ findings suggest that SSRI administration may reduce aggressive tendencies towards other people by enhancing these social-cognitive processes. Future research should further elucidate the long-term effects of SSRIs on various social-emotional tasks in IED.

show abstract

Modulation of Central Serotonin Affects Emotional Information Processing in Impulsive Aggressive Personality Disorder

Cited by 14 publications

References 50 publications

The neurobiology of aggression and violence

The neurobiology of aggression and violence

The role of monoamine oxidase A in aggression: Current translational developments and future challenges

Effects of Escitalopram Administration on Face Processing in Intermittent Explosive Disorder: An fMRI Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About