HOMOVANILLIC-ACID AND DOPAMINE-BETA-HYDROXYLASE IN MALE YOUTH - RELATIONSHIPS WITH PATERNAL SUBSTANCE-ABUSE AND ANTISOCIAL-BEHAVIOR

Recent research suggests that dopaminergic/noradrenergic system dysfun ction may be associated with substance abuse and/or antisocial behavio r. In order to determine whether male youth of fathers with these diso rders would manifest differences in these systems when compared with y outh of nonsubstance-abusing or nonantisocial fathers, levels of homov anillic acid (HVA), the metabolite of dopamine (DA) and dopamine-beta- hydroxylase (DBH), the enzyme facilitating the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine, were studied in offspring blood samples, The subjec ts were 65 male youth aged 6-15 years admitted to a residential center because of behavioral disorders. Parental substance abuse and antisoc ial behavior were assessed through interviews, rating scales, and/or c hart review. HVA and DBH were determined from blood samples obtained a fter admission. The findings indicated that youth of substance-abusing fathers had significantly greater levels of HVA than youth of nonsubs tance-abusing fathers. Younger (<12.0 years) boys of antisocial father s had significantly lower DBH activity than comparably aged youth of n onantisocial fathers. The results suggest that common generational lin ks in substance abuse and antisocial behavior in males may be associat ed with detectable biological parameters in susceptible youth.