Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T18:02:21.241Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Insulin Secretion during the Glucose Tolerance Test in Antisocial Personality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Matti Virkkunen*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Clinic, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland

Summary

In 23 young male adults with antisocial personality, mostly guilty of violent crimes, insulin measurements during the glucose tolerance test showed an enhanced insulin secretion only in those with unsocialized aggressive conduct disorder. The hypothesis that in antisocial personality there are at least two aetiologically different groups is supported.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1983 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andreani, D., Tamburrano, G. & Javicoli, M. (1976) Alcohol hypoglycemia: hormonal changes. Hormone and Metabolic Research, Supplement, 6, 99105.Google Scholar
Aromaa, A., Björkstén, F., Eriksson, A., Fellman, A., Kirjarinta, M., Maatela, J. & Tamminen, M. (1975) Serum-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations of Finns and Finnish Lapps: basic data. Acta Medica Scandinavica, 198, 1326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, G. L., Goodwin, F. K., Ballanger, J. C., Goyer, P. F. & Major, L. F. (1979) Aggression in humans correlates with cerebrospinal fluid amine metabolites. Psychiatric Research, 1, 131–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cadoret, R. J. (1978) Psychopathology in adoption-away offspring of biologic parents with antisocial behavior. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 176–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cadoret, R. J. & Cain, C. (1980) Sex differences in predictors of antisocial behavior in adoptees. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 1171–5.Google Scholar
Chalmers, R. J., Bennie, E. H., Johnson, R. H. & Kinnel, H. G. (1977) The growth hormone response to insulin induced hypoglycaemia in alcoholics. Psychological Medicine, 7, 607–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chalmers, R. J., Bennie, E. H., Johnson, R. H. & Kinnel, H. G. (1978) Growth hormone, prolactin and corticosteroid responses to insulin hypoglycaemia in alcoholics. British Medical Journal, i, 745–8.Google Scholar
Christiansen, K. O. (1977) A preliminary study of criminality in twins. In Biosocial Bases of Criminal Behavior, (eds. Mednick, S. A. and Christiansen, K. O.). New York: Gardner Press.Google Scholar
Cloninger, C. R., Bohman, M. & Sigvardsson, S. (1981) Inheritance of alcohol abuse. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 861–8.Google Scholar
Cohen, S. (1976) A review of hypoglycemia and alcoholism with or without liver disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 273, 338–42.Google Scholar
Crowe, R. R. (1974) An adoption study of antisocial personality. Archives of General Psychiatry, 31, 785–91.Google Scholar
Davis, H. & Wallace, W. M. (1942) Factors affecting changes produced in electroencephalogram by standardized hyperventilation. Archives of Neurology, 47, 606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De la Fuente, J.-R. & Wells, L. A. (1981) Human growth hormone in psychiatric disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 42, 270–4.Google ScholarPubMed
Documenta Geigy Scientific Tables. Mean and Ideal Body Weights of Adults. 6th ed. Basel: J. R. Geigy SA.Google Scholar
Farmer, R. W., Farrell, G., Pellizzari, E. D. & Fabre, L. F. (1971) Serum insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance tests in chronic alcoholics. Federation Proceedings, 30, 250.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., Woodruff, R. A., Winokur, G. & Munoz, R. (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in diagnostic research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 57–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedenberg, R., Metz, R., Mako, M. & Surmaczynska, B. (1971) Differential plasma insulin response to glucose and glucagon stimulation following ethanol priming. Diabetes, 20, 397403.Google Scholar
Hare, R. D. (1978) Electrodermal and cardiovascular correlates of psychopathy. In Psychopathic Behaviour. Approaches to Research, (eds. Hare, R. D. and Schalling, D.). New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Hollis, W. S. (1974) On the etiology of criminal homicides—the alcohol factor. Journal of Police Science and Administration, 2, 50–3.Google Scholar
Hugget, A. H. G. & Nixon, D. A. (1957) Enzymatic determination of blood glucose. Biochemical Journal, 66, 12P.Google Scholar
Hutchings, B. & Mednick, S. A. (1977) Criminality in adoptees and their adoptive and biological parents: a pilot study. In Biosocial Bases of Criminal Behavior, (eds. Mednick, S. A. and Christiansen, K. O.). New York: Gardner Press.Google Scholar
Lidberg, L., Levander, S., Schalling, D. & Lidberg, Y. (1978) Urinary catecholamines, stress and psychopathy: A study of arrested men awaiting trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 15, 117–26.Google Scholar
Loney, J. (1980) Hyperkinesis comes of age: What do we know and where should we go? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 50, 2842.Google Scholar
Maletzky, B. M. (1976) The diagnosis of pathological intoxication. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 37, 1215–28.Google Scholar
Marks, V. (1978) Alcohol and carbohydrate metabolism. Clinics in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 7, 333–49.Google Scholar
McMonagle, J. & Felig, P. (1975) Effects of ethanol ingestion on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in normal and diabetic subjects. Metabolism, 24, 625–32.Google Scholar
Milman, D. H. (1979) Minimal brain dysfunction in childhood: outcome in late adolescence and early adult years. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 40, 371–80.Google ScholarPubMed
Nakagawa, S., Nakayama, H., Sasaki, T., Yoshino, K., Ying Yu, Y., Shinozaki, K., Aoki, S. & Mashimo, K. (1973) A simple method for the determination of serum free insulin levels in insulin-treated patients. Diabetes, 22, 590600.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neziroglu, F. (1979) Behavioral and organic aspects of aggression. In Biological Psychiatry Today, (eds. Obiols, J., Ballus, C., Gonzales-Monchus, E. and Pujol, J.). Amsterdam: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Nikkilä, E. A. & Taskinen, M.-R. (1975) Ethanol-induced alterations of glucose tolerance, postglucose hypoglycemia, and insulin secretion in normal, obese, and diabetic subjects. Diabetes, 24, 933–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Keefe, S. J. D. & Marks, V. (1977) Lunchtime gin and tonic a cause of reactive hypoglycaemia. Lancet, i, 1286–8.Google Scholar
Prinz, R. J., Roberts, W. A. & Hantman, E. (1980) Dietary correlates of hyperactive behavior in children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 760–9.Google Scholar
Rada, R. T. (1975) Alcoholism and forcible rape. American Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 444–6.Google Scholar
Robins, L. N. (1978) Aetiological implications in studies of childhood histories relating to antisocial personality. In Psychopathic Behaviour: Approaches to Research, (eds. Hare, R. D. and Schalling, D.). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Satterfield, J. H. (1978) The hyperactive child syndrome: a precursor of adult psychopathy? In Psychopathic Behaviour: Approaches to Research, (eds. Hare, R. D. and Schalling, D.). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Schauss, A. G. & Simonsen, C. E. (1979) A critical analysis of the diets of chronic juvenile offenders. Part 1. Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, 8, 149–57.Google Scholar
Spieker, G. (1980) Family violence and alcohol abuse. Toxicomanies, 13, 3142.Google Scholar
Spitzer, R. L., Endicott, J. & Robins, E. (1975) Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for a selected group of functional disorders. Biometrics Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute.Google Scholar
Stewart, M., Cummings, C., Singer, S. & De Blois, C. S. (1981) The overlap between hyperactive and unsocialized aggressive children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 22, 3545.Google Scholar
Task Force on Nomenclature and Statistics of the American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Tintera, J. W. (1966) Stabilizing homeostasis in the recovered alcoholic through endocrine therapy: evaluation of the hypoglycemia factor. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 14, 126–50.Google Scholar
Virkkunen, M. (1974) Alcohol as a factor precipitating aggression and conflict behaviour leading to homicide. British Journal of Addiction, 69, 149–54.Google Scholar
Virkkunen, M. (1979a) Alcoholism and antisocial personality. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 59, 493501.Google Scholar
Virkkunen, M. (1979b) Serum cholesterol in antisocial personality. Neuropsychobiology, 5, 2730.Google Scholar
Virkkunen, M. (1982) Reactive hypoglycemic tendency among habitually violent offenders: A further study by means of the glucose tolerance test. Neuropsychobiology, 8, 3540.Google Scholar
Virkkunen, M. & Huttunen, M. O. (1982) Evidence for abnormal glucose tolerance test among violent offenders. Neuropsychobiology, 8, 30–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, G., Hechtman, L., Perlman, T., Hopkins, J. & Wener, A. (1979) Hyperactives as young adults. A controlled prospective ten-year follow-up of 75 children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 675–81.Google Scholar
Wilder, J. (1947) Sugar metabolism and its relation to criminology. In Handbook of Correctional Psychology, (eds. Under, S. and Selinger, B. J.). New York: Philosophical Library.Google Scholar
Woodman, D. & Hinton, J. (1978) Catecholamine balance during stress anticipation: An abnormality in maximum security hospital patients. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 22, 477–83.Google Scholar
Woodman, D. & Hinton, J., O'Neill, J. (1978) Cortisol secretion and stress in maximum security hospital patients. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 22, 133–6.Google Scholar
Wright, J. (1979) Alcohol-induced hypoglycaemia. British Journal of Alcohol and Alcoholism, 14, 174–6.Google Scholar
Yarura-Tobias, J. A. & Neziroglu, F. A. (1975) Violent behavior, brain dysrythmia and glucose dysfunction. A new syndrome. Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, 4, 182–8.Google Scholar
Yarura-Tobias, J. A. & Neziroglu, F. A. (1981) Aggressive behavior, clinical interfaces. In Aggression and Violence: A Psychobiological and Clinical Approach, (eds. Valzelli, J. and Morgese, I.). Edizioni Saint Vincent: Edizioni Centro Culturale E Congressi Saint Vincent.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.