URINARY-EXCRETION OF BUFOTENIN (N,N-DIMETHYL-5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE) IS INCREASED IN SUSPICIOUS VIOLENT OFFENDERS - A CONFIRMATORY STUDY

We previously reported that violent offenders with paranoid symptoms o r whose violent actions had been directed against family members had h igher urinary levels of bufotenin than other violent offenders. In the present study, patients were evaluated with the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP), and urinary levels of bufotenin were determined by mass spectrometry. In drug-free patients, suspiciousness was positivel y correlated, and socialization was negatively correlated, with urinar y bufotenin excretion. These two personality variables were strongly i nterdependent. In drug users, bufotenin excretion was correlated posit ively with social desirability and negatively with irritability, but n ot with suspiciousness. Bufotenin excretion was not found to be associ ated with violence toward family members in the present study, The res ults are in keeping with the earlier finding that violent offenders wi th paranoid personality traits have higher urinary levels of bufotenin than other violent offenders.