title: A prospective study using the Monroe Dyscontrol Scale as a measure of impulsivity in referrals to a forensic psychiatry service.
abstract: Many people referred to a forensic psychiatry service will have displayed impulsive aggression. There are few validated tests to allow a quantitative measurement of such behaviour. The Monroe Dyscontrol Scale (MDS) arose from work that recognized certain symptoms in people who had impulsive aggression, the so-called 'episodic dyscontrol syndrome'. This study uses the MDS in two groups of people who were referred to a forensic psychiatry service. One was a group of 'mentally disordered' in-patients, and the other comprised consecutive referrals to the service. The groups were compared and certain features noted. The most interesting feature was that a family history of epilepsy was common, and associated with high scores on the MDS. The value of the MDS, and the importance of a family history of epilepsy, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Scott Clinic, Rainhill Road, St Helens, Merseyside WA9 5BD.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fearnley
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004827:Epilepsy; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology