Aggression, serotonin

Other studies indicate that sucrose does not cause hyperactivity. Carbohydrate ingestion increases levels of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), a brain neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation and sleep. Dietary sucrose should theoretically have a calming effect and reduce activity, manifestations which have been observed in case studies (63). To date, clinical investigations have failed to show a significant connection between sucrose consumption and aggressive or dismptive behavior (66). 

Cases, O., Seif, I., Grimsby, J. et al. Aggressive behavior and altered amounts of brain serotonin and norepinephrine in mice lacking MAOA. Science 268 1763-1766, 1995. 

Tsai, S. J., Chiu, H. J., Wang, Y. C., and Hong, C. J. (1999) Association study of serotonin-6 receptor variant (C267T) with schizophrenia and aggressive behavior. Neurosci. Lett. 271, 135-137. 

Serotonin-Boosting Antidepressants. Antidepressants that enhance serotonin activity in the brain have also been studied in ADHD. In particular, fluoxetine (Prozac) and the serotonin-selective TCA clomipramine (Anafranil) have been the most extensively evaluated, with mixed success. They provide some benefit for aggression and impulsivity but don t significantly improve the poor attention of ADHD. As a result, the SSRls and other serotonin-boosting antidepressants do not appear to be effective first-line treatments for ADHD. Conversely, depressed patients without ADHD often show improvements in symptoms of concentration and attention when treated with a SSRI. Although SSRls are not widely used in the treatment of ADHD, they may be worthy of consideration in ADHD patients whose impulsivity is not controlled by stimulants alone. Those with comorbid conduct disorder or ODD who are prone to agitation and at times violent outbursts may be helped by the addition of a SSRI. 

Serotonin and aggression, panic attack and related disorders... 

Keywords Serotonin Gene Polymorphism Knockout Anxiety Aggression ... 

Chiavegatto S, Nelson RJ (2003) Interaction of nitric oxide and serotonin in aggressive behavior. Horm Behav 44 233-241... 

Gammie SC, Nelson RJ (1999) Maternal aggression is reduced in neuronal nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice. J Neurosci 19 8027-8035 Caspar P, Cases O, Maroteaux L (2003) The developmental role of serotonin news from mouse molecular genetics. Nat Rev Neurosci 4 1002-1012 Gobbi G, Murphy DL, Lesch K, Blier P (2001) Modifications of the serotonergic system in mice lacking serotonin transporters an in vivo electrophysiological study. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 296 987-995... 

Maier DL, Mani S, Donovan SL, Soppet D, Tessarollo L, McCasland JS, Meiri KF (1999) Disrupted cortical map and absence of cortical barrels in growth-associated protein (GAP)-43 knockout mice. Proc Nad Acad Sci U S A 96 9397-9402 Mansour-Robaey S, Mechawar N, Radja F, Beaulieu C, Descarries L (1998) Quantified distribution of serotonin transporter and receptors during the postnatal development of the rat barrel field cortex. Brain Res Dev Brain Res 107 159-163 Manuck SB, Flory JD, Ferrell RE, Dent KM, Mann JJ, Muldoon MF (1999) Aggression and anger-related traits associated with a polymorphism of the tryptophan hydroxylase gene. Biol Psychiatry 45 603-614... 

Most of the serotonin in the brain is in the brainstem, specifically in the raphe nuclei considerable amounts also are present in areas of the hypothalamus, the limbic system, and the pituitary gland. Current evidence indicates that serotonin is involved in the regulation of several aspects of behavior, including sleep, pain perception, depression, sexual activity, and aggressiveness. Some of the most important antidepressant agents are believed to prevent the reuptake of serotonin (see Chapter 33). Serotonin also may be involved in temperature regulation and in the hypothalamic control of the release of pituitary hormones. 

Differentiating between types of aggression can be pertinent to medication trials. Chronic inhibition of monoamine oxidase or serotonin (5-hydroxtryptamine [5-HT]) uptake, with antidepressant treatment, reliably facilitates defensive aggression but not attack behavior in rodents (Miczek et ah, 1994). Thus, at least in animal studies, affective and predatory types of aggression differ in their psychopharmacologic response. 

In essentially all species of animals, including humans, serotonin is important in aggression (Kravitz, 2000). Relationships between CSF concentrations of a serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and human aggression were described in As-berg et al. s landmark study (1976), which showed a bimodal distribution among depressed patients. A meta-analysis of 27 studies, involving 1202 psychiatric patients, showed an association between attempted suicide and low levels of CSF 5-HIAA (Lester, 1995). 

Following the initial CSF findings, other serotonergic methods have added to our knowledge of its role in aggression. Tryptophan, the essential amino acid precursor to serotonin, has been studied via depletion and... 

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