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Blunted Prolactin Responses to d-Fenfluramine in Sociopathy

Evidence for Subsensitivity of Central Serotonergic Function

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Veronica O'Keane ,
Eamonn Moloney ,
Helen O'Neill ,
Art O'Connor ,
Charles Smith  and
Timothy G. Dinan
Veronica O'Keane
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Unit, St James's Hospital, Dublin 8
Eamonn Moloney
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14
Helen O'Neill
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14
Art O'Connor
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14
Charles Smith
Affiliation:
Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 14
Timothy G. Dinan*
Affiliation:
Trinity College Medical School, St James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland
*
∗Psychiatric Unit, St James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland
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Abstract

Using a neuroendocrine probe we studied nine male’ offenders in a forensic hospital, convicted of murder, with a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, who had been behaviourally ‘quiescent’ for varying periods and who had not recently been abusing drugs. Nine healthy age-matched men also participated. All subjects received 30 mg d-fenfluramine (d-FEN), a 5–HT releasing agent, orally, after an overnight fast, and serial samples for prolactin estimation were taken hourly for five hours. Responses were significantly impaired in the patients, suggesting a subsensitivity of certain 5–HT systems in antisocial personality disorder, regardless of recent or ongoing behavioural disturbance.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 160 , Issue 5 , May 1992 , pp. 643 - 646
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1992 

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