title: High trait aggression in men is associated with low 5-HT levels, as indexed by 5-HT4 receptor binding.
abstract: Impulsive aggression has commonly been associated with a dysfunction of the serotonin (5-HT) system: many, but not all, studies point to an inverse relationship between 5-HT and aggression. As cerebral 5-HT4 receptor (5-HT4R) binding has recently been recognized as a proxy for stable brain levels of 5-HT, we here test the hypothesis in healthy men and women that brain 5-HT levels, as indexed by cerebral 5-HT4R, are inversely correlated with trait aggression and impulsivity. Sixty-one individuals (47 men) underwent positron emission tomography scanning with the radioligand [(11)C]SB207145 for quantification of brain 5-HT4R binding. The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale were used for assessment of trait aggression and trait impulsivity. Among male subjects, there was a positive correlation between global 5-HT4R and BPAQ total score (P = 0.037) as well as BPAQ physical aggression (P = 0.025). No main effect of global 5-HT4R on trait aggression or impulsivity was found in the mixed gender sample, but there was evidence for sex interaction effects in the relationship between global 5-HT4R and BPAQ physical aggression. In conclusion we found that low cerebral 5-HT levels, as indexed by 5-HT4R binding were associated with high trait aggression in males, but not in females.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen, Denmark and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark gmk@nru.dk.
authors.forename: Sofi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: da Cunha-Bang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen, Denmark and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mc Mahon
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen, Denmark and.
authors.forename: Patrick MacDonald
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen, Denmark and.
authors.forename: Peter Steen
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen, Denmark and.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svarer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Neurobiology Research Unit and Center for Integrated Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen, Denmark and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Gitte Moos
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Knudsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D002605:Character; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4 / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4; D012701:Serotonin
keywords: PET; aggression; impulsivity; positron emission tomography; serotonin