title: Aggression in bipolar II disorder and its relation to the serotonin transporter.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aggression is frequently observed in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD). Previous studies found a negative association between aggression and serotoninergic function in patients with BD, as well as in healthy subjects. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is an association between aggression and the availability of the serotonin transporter (SERT) in euthymic BD II patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight age-matched healthy controls (HCs) and 24 BD II patients were recruited. BD II patients were under stable treatment in the euthymic state. The Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) was used for the assessment of aggression. Single photon emission computed tomography with (123)I-ADAM was used for SERT imaging. A specific uptake ratio, which represents availability, was the primary measured outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total OAS scores, as well as the scores on all of the sub-items, were significantly higher in BD II patients than in the HCs group. There was no significant difference in SERT availability between BD II and HCs subjects in different brain regions. The Pearson's correlation between the total OAS scores and the sub-item aggression and SERT availability was significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The OAS was used for the assessment of the past week of the patients' condition and thus did not reflect their trait status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher total scores of OAS in euthymic BD II patients than in HCs support the idea that aggression might be a trait marker for BD. Although SERT availability in euthymic BD II patients and in HCs did not differ significantly, the correlation of SERT availability and total OAS provides the possible explanation of aggression in BD II.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. c520608@ms64.hinet.net
authors.forename: Yuan-Hwa
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Chun-Lung
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shyh-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiing-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lirng
authors.forename: Kai-Chun
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chien Chang
authors.forename: Mei-Hsiu
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins