title: Blunted prolactin responses to d-fenfluramine in sociopathy. Evidence for subsensitivity of central serotonergic function.
abstract: Using a neuroendocrine probe we studied nine male offenders in a forensic hospital, convicted of murder, with a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, who had been behaviourally 'quiescent' for varying periods and who had not recently been abusing drugs. Nine healthy age-matched men also participated. All subjects received 30 mg d-fenfluramine (d-FEN), a 5-HT releasing agent, orally, after an overnight fast, and serial samples for prolactin estimation were taken hourly for five hours. Responses were significantly impaired in the patients, suggesting a subsensitivity of certain 5-HT systems in antisocial personality disorder, regardless of recent or ongoing behavioural disturbance.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Unit, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: O'Keane
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moloney
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Dinan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005277:Fenfluramine; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D005277:Fenfluramine; D012701:Serotonin; D011388:Prolactin