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Runions KC, Morandini HAE, Rao P, Wong JWY, Kolla NJ, Pace G, Mahfouda S, Hildebrandt CS, Stewart R, Zepf FD. Serotonin and aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2019; 139:117-144. [PMID: 30446991 DOI: 10.1111/acps.12986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The role of serotonin (5-HT) in human aggression has been the subject of a large number of studies, mostly with adults. Meta-analyses indicate a small but significant inverse relationship between central nervous 5-HT availability and aggression, but genetically informed studies suggest two pathways: one to reactive aggression and the other to proactive aggression. METHOD We conducted a systemic review on central nervous 5-HT function in children and adolescents, with attention to the function of aggression. RESULTS In total, 675 articles were screened for relevance, with 45 reviewed. These included blood assays (e.g. plasma, 5-HIAA; platelet 5-HTR2A ), epigenetic studies, retrospective PET studies and 5-HT challenge paradigms (e.g. tryptophan depletion). Overall, findings were mixed, with support both for negative and for positive associations of central nervous 5-HT function with aggression in children and adolescents. CONCLUSION We propose factors that may be blurring the picture, including problems in the conceptualization and measurement of aggression in young people, the lack of prospective designs and the bias towards clinical samples of boys. Research needs to account for variance in the both motivation for and implementation of aggression, and look to the behavioural economics literature to consider the roles of reward, vengeance and self-control more clearly.
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Affiliation(s)
- K C Runions
- Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Bentley, WA, Australia.,Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, Centre & Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - H A E Morandini
- Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, Centre & Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - P Rao
- Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Bentley, WA, Australia.,Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, Centre & Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - J W Y Wong
- Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Bentley, WA, Australia.,Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, Centre & Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - N J Kolla
- Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - G Pace
- Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - S Mahfouda
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - C S Hildebrandt
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance, JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinics of the City Cologne GmbH, Cologne, Germany
| | - R Stewart
- Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, Centre & Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - F D Zepf
- Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, Centre & Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Clinics of the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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Giancola PR, Mezzich AC. Executive functioning, temperament, and drug use involvement in adolescent females with a substance use disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2003; 44:857-66. [PMID: 12959494 DOI: 10.1111/1469-7610.00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study determined whether temperament mediates the relation between executive functioning (EF) and drug use involvement and whether EF and temperament interact to account for unique variance in drug use involvement. METHOD Participants were 340, 14-18-year-old, adolescent females with a substance use disorder and controls. EF was measured using a battery of neuropsychological tests, temperament was assessed using the Dimensions of Temperament Survey--Revised, and drug use involvement was measured with the Drug Use Screening Inventory. RESULTS Temperament mediated the relation between EF and drug use involvement. Girls with a 'difficult' temperament exhibited significantly greater drug use involvement than girls with a 'good' temperament. Finally, low EF was significantly related to increased drug use involvement for girls with a good temperament, but not for girls with a difficult temperament. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that a difficult temperament is a more important risk factor for drug use than low EF. Given previous studies that have shown significant relations between EF and drug use, further research on this topic is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Giancola
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0044, USA.
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FARREN CONORK. Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and alcoholism: is there a genuine association? Addict Biol 1997; 2:171-80. [PMID: 26735634 DOI: 10.1080/13556219772714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a particle-bound flavoenzyme principally located in the outer mitochondrial membrane, which catalyzes the oxidative deamination of a variety of the amine transmitters in the central nervous system. There have been many reports from different groups around the world over the last 20 years that indicated a lower platelet MAO activity was associated with alcoholism. As there are multiple influences upon measured MAO activity, this article attempts to address each of the issues in turn for potential confounding of the reported association. These issues include: the duration of abstinence from alcohol, the substrate used for analysis, gender issues, association with different subtypes of alcoholics, the influence of other psychopathology, personality traits of alcoholics, the question of smoking, and proposed modes of transmission of MAO activity. The initial promise about MAO activity being a possible marker for alcoholism or a least a genetically predisposed subgroup has receded as the number of negative typology-based studies increases. The failure to account for a major confounding variable, e.g. smoking and other minor but possibly vital confounds in almost all these studies leaves the whole hypothesis open to criticism. However, the possible association between personality traits that might predispose to some if not all substances of addiction to low MAO activity may make it possible to reframe the hypothesized association in the setting of a generalized predisposition to addictions in particular, and to psychopathology in general. Nonetheless the association remains of great interest and may yet yield vital genetic and clinical information.
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