title: Growth hormone responses to intravenous clonidine challenge correlate with behavioral irritability in psychiatric patients and healthy volunteers.
abstract: To explore the relationship between central noradrenergic receptor responsivity and indices of impulsive aggression, growth hormone responses to infusions with the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine (GH[CLON]) and responses on the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) were examined in healthy male volunteers and male patients with major affective or personality disorder. GH[CLON] values were found to correlate significantly with the BDHI "Irritability" subscale in all subjects, but especially in healthy volunteer and personality disorder patients. GH[CLON] values did not correlate with the BDHI "Assault" subscale. These results suggest a role for central alpha 2-adrenergic receptor responsivity in the personality trait characterized by behavioral irritability, but not overt assaultiveness, in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Philadelphia 19129.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Coccaro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trestman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Klar
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Siever
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003000:Clonidine; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007508:Irritable Mood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D013006:Growth Hormone; D003000:Clonidine; D009638:Norepinephrine