title: CSF studies in violent offenders. II. Blood-brain barrier dysfunction without concurrent inflammation or structure degeneration.
abstract: Cerebral dysfunction without corresponding structural pathology has been reported in brain imaging studies of violent offenders. Biochemical markers in the CSF reflect various types of CNS pathology, such as blood-brain barrier dysfunction (CSF/S albumin ratio), infectious or inflammatory processes (IgG and IgM indices), neuronal or axonal degeneration (CSF-tau protein) and synaptic de- or regeneration (CSF-growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43)). We compared these CSF markers in 19 non-psychotic perpetrators of severe violent crimes undergoing pretrial forensic psychiatric investigation and 19 age- and sex-matched controls. Index subjects had significantly higher albumin ratios (p = 0.002), indicating abnormal vascular permeability as part of the complex CNS dysfunction previously reported in violent offenders. Axis I disorders, including substance abuse or current medication, did not explain this finding. Since Ig-indices, CSF-tau protein or CSF-GAP-43 were not increased, there was no support for inflammation or neuronal/synaptic degeneration as etiological factors to CNS dysfunction in this category of subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Göteborg University, Sweden. henrik.soderstrom@rmv.se
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soderstrom
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blennow
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manhem
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forsman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D002097:C-Reactive Protein