title: Impulsivity in self-mutilative behavior: psychometric and biological findings.
abstract: This paper examines impulsivity as a central factor in moderate/superficial self-mutilation such as skin-cutting and burning. A sample of 165 subjects were divided into four groups, namely self-mutilators, patients with any modes of impulsive behavior other than self-mutilation, patients without any impulsive behavior, and normal probands. All were administered the 10th version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and the Inventory for the Assessment of Factors of Aggressiveness. They also were interviewed carefully in regards to both impulsive and self-mutilative behavior. A d-fenfluramine challenge test was administered to 36 females and prolactin levels were measured. On the whole results implicate impulsive personality functioning as a major factor in subjects with moderate/superficial self-mutilative behavior whose trait pathology is similar to personality disordered patients with other modes of self-harming impulsive behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herpertz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sass
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Favazza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011594:Psychometrics; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000209:etiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005277:Fenfluramine; D012701:Serotonin; D011388:Prolactin