scholarly journals Monoamine oxidase a gene promoter methylation and transcriptional downregulation in an offender population with antisocial personality disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 206 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Checknita ◽  
G. Maussion ◽  
B. Labonté ◽  
S. Comai ◽  
R. E. Tremblay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Monoamine Oxidase ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Promoter Methylation ◽  
Monoamine Oxidase A ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Impulsive Aggression ◽  
Increased Risk

BackgroundAntisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterised by elevated impulsive aggression and increased risk for criminal behaviour and incarceration. Deficient activity of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene is suggested to contribute to serotonergic system dysregulation strongly associated with impulsive aggression and antisocial criminality.AimsTo elucidate the role of epigenetic processes in altered MAOA expression and serotonin regulation in a population of incarcerated offenders with ASPD compared with a healthy non-incarcerated control population.MethodParticipants were 86 incarcerated participants with ASPD and 73 healthy controls. MAOA promoter methylation was compared between case and control groups. We explored the functional impact of MAOA promoter methylation on gene expression in vitro and blood 5-HT levels in a subset of the case group.ResultsResults suggest that MAOA promoter hypermethylation is associated with ASPD and may contribute to downregulation of MAOA gene expression, as indicated by functional assays in vitro, and regression analysis with whole-blood serotonin levels in offenders with ASPD.ConclusionsThese results are consistent with prior literature suggesting MAOA and serotonergic dysregulation in antisocial populations. Our results offer the first evidence suggesting epigenetic mechanisms may contribute to MAOA dysregulation in antisocial offenders.

scholarly journals Serotonergic function in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

2007 ◽  
Vol 190 (5) ◽  
pp. 410-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine D. Flory ◽  
Jeffrey H. Newcorn ◽  
Carlin Miller ◽  
Seth Harty ◽  
Jeffrey M. Halperin
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Potential Explanation ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Impulsive Aggression ◽  
Serotonergic Function ◽  
Critical Link

BackgroundImpulsive aggression in adulthood is associated with disturbances in serotonergic function. In contrast, research examining this association in childhood has yielded inconsistent results.AimsThe current study examined the prospective relationship between serotonergic function measured in childhood and the later emergence of antisocial personality disorder.MethodHormonal response to fenfluramine, an index of serotonergic function, was assessed in 58 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder between 1990 and 1997 when they were aged 7–11 years. Approximately 9 years later these individuals were evaluated for antisocial personality disorder.ResultsLower serotonergic responsivity assessed in childhood predicted the development of antisocial personality disorder (t (56)=2.25, P=0.028).ConclusionsThese results provide a critical link between the child and adult literature on the covariation of impulsive aggression and serotonergic function and suggest a potential explanation for inconsistencies in the childhood literature.

Impulsiveness, Impulsive Aggression, Personality Disorder, and Spousal Violence

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Edwards ◽  
Charles L. Scott ◽  
Richard M. Yarvis ◽  
Cheryl L. Paizis ◽  
Matthew S. Panizzon
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Physical Aggression ◽  
Personality Assessment ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Violence Prediction ◽  
Impulsive Aggression

Impulsiveness has become a key concept in thinking about the determinants of violence and aggression. In this study of spouse abusers, the relationship between impulsiveness, impulsive aggression, and physical violence is confirmed. Impulsiveness and impulsive aggression have significant correlations with physical aggression. Impulsiveness and impulsive aggression are also correlated with measures of Borderline Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder. In addition, the measures of Borderline and Antisocial Personality Disorder (PD) are significantly correlated with physical aggression. The violent and non-violent groups differed on impulsive aggression and on Borderline Personality Disorder. A partial replication of Tweed and Dutton’s findings (1998) revealed sub-groups of high- and low-violence men. The high-violence group was very different from the low-violent and the non-violent groups. The high-violence group had higher pathology scores on all clinical scales, except Mania, of the Personality Assessment Inventory. These findings have implications for violence prediction and for treatment of violent men.

scholarly journals The interaction between monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and childhood maltreatment as a predictor of personality pathology in females: Emotional reactivity as a potential mediating mechanism

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 361-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy L. Byrd ◽  
Stephen B. Manuck ◽  
Samuel W. Hawes ◽  
Tayler J. Vebares ◽  
Vishwajit Nimgaonkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Monoamine Oxidase A ◽  
Personality Pathology ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Gene Environment

AbstractResearch consistently demonstrates that common polymorphic variation in monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) moderates the influence of childhood maltreatment on later antisocial behavior, with growing evidence that the “risk” allele (high vs. low activity) differs for females. However, little is known abouthowthis Gene × Environment interaction functions to increase risk, or if this risk pathway is specific to antisocial behavior. Using a prospectively assessed, longitudinal sample of females (n= 2,004), we examined whether changes in emotional reactivity (ER) during adolescence mediated associations between this Gene × Environment and antisocial personality disorder in early adulthood. In addition, we assessed whether this putative risk pathway also conferred risk for borderline personality disorder, a related disorder characterized by high ER. While direct associations between early maltreatment and later personality pathology did not vary by genotype, there was a significant difference in the indirect path via ER during adolescence. Consistent with hypotheses, females with high-activityMAOAgenotype who experienced early maltreatment had greater increases in ER during adolescence, and higher levels of ER predicted both antisocial personality disorderandborderline personality disorder symptom severity. Taken together, findings suggest that the interaction betweenMAOAand early maltreatment places women at risk for a broader range of personality pathology via effects on ER.

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