Περίληψη:
Violent behavior has been associated with certain personality traits
like poor impulse control, sensation seeking, and monotony avoidance,
which predispose to increased risk for violent acts. Low platelet
monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been found in subjects with such
traits, as well as in imprisoned violent offenders. On the other hand,
cigarette smoking is expected to inhibit MAO activity. We assessed
impulse control, lifetime history of aggression, suicide risk, as well
as platelet MAO activity in 82 male offenders (mean age 33.0 +/- 10.7
years) imprisoned for homicide or other violent acts, and in 54 control
male subjects (mean age 35.1 +/- 6.6 years). General psychopathology was
assessed by the Hopkins Symptom Check List (SCL-90) questionnaire. A
high rate of smoking (89 %), significantly higher than controls (63
%), was observed in offenders, but there were no differences in MAO
activities among nonsmokers, moderate, or heavy smokers in either group.
Offenders showed significantly higher scores in Impulse Control, Past
Feelings and Acts of Violence, Suicide Risk and SCL-90 scales. Offenders
who had committed other violent acts than homicide had higher scores in
the three psychometric scales and in the Depression,
Obsessive-Compulsive, Hostility, and Anxiety subscales of the SCL-90,
than offenders who had committed homicide. Platelet MAO activity was
significantly lower (p = 0.01) in the offenders’ group (38.1 +/- 14.4)
compared to controls (44.7 +/- 15.2). The difference could not be
attributed to smoking, and seems to be related to personality traits and
behaviors that characterize the offenders’ group.
Συγγραφείς:
Skondras, M
Markianos, M
Botsis, A
Bistolaki, E and
Christodoulou, G
