IMIPRAMINE BINDING TO BLOOD-PLATELETS AND AGGRESSIVE-BEHAVIOR IN OFFENDERS, SCHIZOPHRENICS AND NORMAL VOLUNTEERS

The relationships between [H-3]imipramine biding to blood platelets an d manifestation of aggressive behavior was studied in three different groups of subjects. Arrested offenders displayed high imipramine bindi ng compared to controls, with violent offenders exceeding their nonvio lent counterparts. Hostile schizophrenic patients showed imipramine bi nding higher than nonhostile matched patients. In normal volunteers, o n the other hand, no correlation between imipramine binding and scores of aggression was found. The results support the notion about the inv olvement of a neuronal serotonergic system in the regulation of aggres sive behavior. The contribution of this biological factor is detectabl e in pathological manifestation of aggression but not in normal behavi or.