Psychopathy and the posterior hippocampus.

Neurobiology of psychopathy is of interest, not only because neural underpinnings of psychopathy remain obscure, but also because psychopaths may provide a model to study violent behavior, neurology of morals and impaired decision-making. Medial temporal lobe pathology has been suggested to be a part of the neural systems dysfunction which manifests as violent and psychopathic behavior. Yet, so far no sound evidence of neuroanatomical correlates for psychopathic behavior has been found.

In vivo voltammetry with removable carbon fibre electrodes in freely-moving mice: dopamine release during intracranial self-stimulation.

The advantages of in vivo voltammetry at carbon fibre electrodes cannot be fully realised without the registration of neurotransmitter release in freely moving animals. Here we describe an approach to record electrically evoked dopamine release in freely-moving mice. A description of a simple in-house made micromanipulator (0.

Metabolism of [123I]epidepride may affect brain dopamine D2 receptor imaging with single-photon emission tomography.

Iodine-123 labelled epidepride is a novel radiopharmaceutical for the study of cerebral dopamine D2 receptors using single-photon emission tomography (SPET). A lipophilic labelled metabolite of [123I]epidepride which may enter the brain and hamper the quantitation of receptors has been observed in human plasma. In the present study, gradient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to investigate the plasma concentration of the lipophilic labelled metabolite and its correlation to SPET imaging of striatal dopamine D2 receptors.

Patterns of dopamine overflow in mouse nucleus accumbens during intracranial self-stimulation.

Dopamine (DA) overflow in the mouse nucleus accumbens during intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) of the median forebrain bundle was estimated by chronoamperometry with removable carbon fibre electrodes. The specificity of the voltammetric signal was confirmed pharmacologically. The parameters of stimulation (50 Hz, 0.

Specific binding and laterality of human extrastriatal dopamine D2/D3 receptors in late onset type 1 alcoholic patients.

Late onset type 1 alcoholism has been suggested to be associated with decreased dopaminergic transmission. Our hypothesis was that late onset type 1 alcoholics have also abnormal extrastriatal dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptor distribution. We performed binding, heterogeneity and laterality analysis of extrastriatal and striatal dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptors in nine late onset male alcoholics and in 12 age-matched healthy males.

Ethanol modulates evoked dopamine release in mouse nucleus accumbens: dependence on social stress and dose.

Ethanol may modulate the activity of presynaptic terminals to increase extracellular dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens though conflicting results have been published. It has been suggested that the stress of social defeat might be a factor influencing the effects of ethanol. We investigated the effects of ethanol on the evoked dopamine overflow in the nucleus accumbens in anaesthetised mice by in vivo voltammetry.

Lack of association between the functional variant of the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene and early-onset alcoholism associated with severe antisocial behavior.

Addictive drugs, including ethanol, increase the brain's dopaminergic transmission, and catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme has a crucial role in dopamine inactivation. A common functional polymorphism in the COMT gene results in a three- to four-fold variation in enzyme activity. In a previous study, we found an association between type 1 (with late-onset but without prominent antisocial behavior) alcoholism and the low activity allele of the COMT gene.

Regional cerebral blood flow during exposure to food in obese binge eating women.

Cerebral responses elicited by the sight of food were evaluated in eight obese binge eating, 11 obese and 12 normal-weight non-binge eating women. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was mapped while the subjects were looking at a picture of a landscape (control) or at a portion of food (food exposure), and was measured by [99mTc]ethyl-cysteine-dimer and single photon emission computed tomography. Exposure to food was associated with different changes in the cerebral blood flow (normalized to mean cerebellar counts) of the right and left hemispheres in the obese binge eating than in the obese or normal-weight non-binge eating women.

Aging and homicide rates.

There are no published studies concerning the effect of mortality rate on the rate of homicide by habitually violent offenders. On the basis of nation-wide statistics in Finland, the frequency of homicide is 61% lower among 50-year old males than among 30-year old males. However, when the 4.

A volumetric MRI study of the hippocampus in type 1 and 2 alcoholism.

In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the hippocampus has been extensively studied on neurological and psychiatric disorders. Particularly in studies on schizophrenia and mood disorders, findings regarding the hippocampal involvement have been most controversial. Previously, minor volume loss of the hippocampus in alcoholism, a major comorbidity alongside psychiatric disorders, has been reported but no data exist on the hippocampal volumes in subtypes of alcoholism.

Quantitative MRI of the hippocampus and amygdala in severe depression.

Background: There is little evidence to support possible structural changes in the amygdala and hippocampus of patients with severe depression.

Methods: Quantitative MRI of the amygdala and hippocampus, as well as proton spectroscopy (MRS) of mesial temporal structures were studied in 34 drug-resistant in-patients with major depression and compared with 17 age-matched controls. Volumetric MRI data were normalized for brain size.

Association between the functional polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase gene and alcohol consumption among social drinkers.

Background: A common functional genetic polymorphism in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene (Val158 Met) results in 3- to 4-fold differences in COMT enzyme activity and dopamine inactivation rate. Previous studies have shown that type I alcoholism is more common among subjects with low activity COMT genotype (LL), compared with high activity (HH) or heterozygotic (LH) genotypes.

Methods: We studied alcohol consumption and the COMT genotype in middle-aged Finnish men (n 896), who represented an unselected ethnically homogenous population sample and reported using alcohol during the past year.

Dopamine-transporter density in nucleus accumbens of type-1 alcoholics.

We have shown that alcoholic patients have a lower number of dopamine transporters in the nucleus accumbens, which mediates the rewarding effects of addictive drugs. Thus, certain dopaminergic agents may be beneficial in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and in the long-term treatment of alcoholism with selective use.

Dopamine transporter and D2-receptor density in late-onset alcoholism.

Rationale: Late onset type 1 alcoholism has been suggested to be associated with an underlying dopaminergic defect. Therefore, it is relevant to study both postsynaptic D2-receptor and presynaptic dopamine transporter (DAT) densities among alcoholics.

Objective: We investigated DAT densities, along with striatal and extrastriatal dopamine D2-receptor densities, in nine nonviolent late-onset male alcoholics, who had no major mental disorder nor antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), and nine healthy controls.

Iodine-123 labelled PE2I for dopamine transporter imaging: influence of age in healthy subjects.

The iodine-123 labelled selective ligand N-(3-iodoprop-2E-enyl)-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-methylphe nyl)nortr opane ([(123)I]PE2I) has been developed and has been shown to be suitable for single-photon emission tomography imaging of the dopamine transporter. In this study the influence of age on ligand binding was investigated in 16 healthy males with an age range of 23- 75 years. Single-photon emission tomography (SPET) imaging was performed with a triple-headed gamma camera.

Outcome of different types of long-term antidepressant treatments: a 3-year follow-up study of 14182 patients.

Background: Antidepressant efficacy studies are rare in large populations for prolonged periods.

Methods: The efficacy of antidepressants was investigated by using disability pensions due to major affective disorders as the efficacy variable from a large Finnish population (n = 14182) during a 3-year follow-up.

Results: Of all males, 345 (6.

Association between low activity serotonin transporter promoter genotype and early onset alcoholism with habitual impulsive violent behavior.

A common 44-base pair insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the human serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene has been observed to be associated with affective illness and anxiety-related traits. This biallelic functional polymorphism, designated long (L) and short (S), affects 5-HTT gene expression since the S promoter is less active than the L promoter. Since there is strong evidence of a disturbance in brain serotonergic transmission among antisocial, impulsive, and violent type 2 alcoholic subjects, we decided to test the hypothesis that the frequency of the S allele, which is associated with reduced 5-HTT gene expression, is higher among habitually violent type 2 alcoholics when compared with race and gender-matched healthy controls and non-violent late-onset (type 1) alcoholics.

Altered parallel auditory processing in schizophrenia patients.

Patients with schizophrenia have impaired auditory processing that has been demonstrated by diminished P50 response to paired auditory stimuli in event-related potential (ERP) studies. Cerebral processing can also be studied with magnetoencephalography (MEG). With a whole-head MEG, which enables one to simultaneously measure brain activity in both hemispheres, we investigated whether early parallel auditory processing is impaired in schizophrenia.

Dopamine transporter availability and depressive symptoms during alcohol withdrawal.

Alcohol-related temporary depressive symptoms are hypothesized to be related to dopaminergic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not depressive symptoms correlate with reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) availability. We studied the DAT availability in 28 alcoholic subjects with beta-CIT ([123-iodium]-2-betacarbomethoxy-3-beta-(4-iodophenyl)-tropa ne) single photon emission tomography (SPET) and found a reduction in DAT availability during withdrawal that subsequently showed a significant increase during sobriety.

Mitchell B. Balter Award--1998. Pindolol and major affective disorders: a three-year follow-up study of 30,485 patients.

The role of serotonin autoreceptor antagonism in major depression has been a matter of intense debate in recent years. On the basis of animal experiments, it has been suggested that the blockade of this autoreceptor with pindolol during concomitant treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) would result in a rapid and augmented antidepressant effect, but it has also been argued that the possible augmenting effect of pindolol is due to the beta-blocking properties of this drug. Results from the first human studies have also been controversial.

Striatal dopamine transporter density in major depression.

Rationale: There are no previous data available regarding [123I]beta-CIT binding to the dopamine transporter sites in the basal ganglia in depressed patients.

Objective: The present study tested the hypothesis that the brain DAT density in depressed patients is lower than that in matched healthy controls.

Methods: Fifteen drug-naive outpatients with major depression and 18 healthy controls were investigated using single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) with a high-affinity dopamine transporter specific radioligand.

Mortality among habitually violent offenders.

There are no published studies about mortality among habitually violent offenders, although it would be essential to take into account the possibly higher mortality rate of this population, when the incidence of committing violent offenders is calculated as a function of age. We studied mortality during the age range 30-50 years among 102 habitually violent male offenders, who were considered to be dangerous to the lives of other people, during the 24.5-year period 1971-1995 (in the range 3.