title: Suicide attempts and impulse control disorder are related to low cerebrospinal fluid 5-HIAA in mentally disordered violent offenders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between low cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (CSF 5-HIAA) and aggressive acts in mentally disordered violent offenders.
  
  
  METHODS
  CSF concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl glycol were measured in 35 drug-free men convicted of homicide and currently undergoing forensic psychiatric investigation in a high security hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean metabolite concentrations in the homicide offenders did not differ from those of age- and body-height matched male control subjects. One-third of the murderers had made one or several suicide attempts, and their mean concentration of spinal fluid 5-HIAA was significantly lower than that of the remaining murderers. Subjects with impulse control disorder also had lower mean CSF 5-HIAA. A consistent pattern of higher CSF 5-HIAA in subjects with more self-reported anxiety traits was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between serotonin and suicidal behaviour holds for yet another subject group. Determining CSF 5-HIAA might be worth while in the routine assessment of psychiatrically ill homicide offenders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lidberg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Belfrage
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertilsson
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Evenden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006708:Homicide; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D006719:Homovanillic Acid