MALTREATMENT, CONSCIENCE FUNCTIONING AND DOPAMINE-BETA-HYDROXYLASE INEMOTIONALLY-DISTURBED BOYS

Objective: Identify associations among early maltreatment, sufficienci es, and psychopathological interferences in the domains of conscience functioning and low serum dopamine beta hydroxylase activity. Method: Nineteen emotionally disturbed boys screened for maltreatment experien ces were compared according to age at onset of maltreatment, enzyme ac tivity, and their conscience functioning in the domain of moral valuat ion. They were also compared in conscience functions to 19 age and sex matched normal counterparts. Results: Subjects who endured maltreatme nt prior to 36 months had developmental delays and interferences with functioning in more conscience domains than those who were either spar ed such experiences or who endured maltreatment later in life. Subject s with low enzyme activity had significantly more interference with au thority and peer valuation than subjects with high enzyme activity. Gr eater interference with valuation was associated with lower enzyme act ivity and more frequent abuse prior to 36 months. Conclusions: Psychos ocial sequelae of early maltreatment have been identified in the domai ns of conscience. An association has been established between patholog ical interference in the domain of moral valuation and a putative neur obiologic sequelae of early maltreatment. Implications for future rese arch in the psychobiology of maltreatment are discussed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd