BRAIN GLUCOSE-METABOLISM IN VIOLENT PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

Positron emission tomography with F-18-deoxyglucose was used to evalua te regional brain glucose metabolism in eight normal subjects and eigh t psychiatric patients with a history of repetitive violent behavior. Seven of the patients showed widespread areas of low brain metabolism. Although the location of the abnormal regions varied among patients, they showed significantly lower relative metabolic values in medial te mporal and prefrontal cortices than did normal comparison subjects. Th ese regions have been implicated as substrates for aggression and impu lsivity, and their dysfunction may have contributed to the patients' v iolent behavior.