NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSE TO FENFLURAMINE CHALLENGE IN BOYS - ASSOCIATIONS WITH AGGRESSIVE-BEHAVIOR AND ADVERSE REARING

Background: There is evidence of relationships among serotonin, aggres sive behavior, and a childhood history of socially adverse-rearing con ditions. This study examines the prolactin response to fenfluramine hy drochloride challenge in young boys who show clinically significant ag gressive behavior or who are raised in a social environment that is co nducive to the development of chronic aggression. Methods: A series of 34 younger brothers of convicted delinquents underwent standardized p sychiatric and observation-based assessments of their social-rearing e nvironments that were conducted during home visits. Approximately 2 ye ars later, these boys underwent a reassessment of psychiatric status a nd an assessment of central serotonergic activity using the fenflurami ne challenge procedure. Results: Increasing degrees of aggressive beha vior at either assessment were positively correlated with the prolacti n response to fenfluramine challenge. Furthermore, adverse-rearing cir cumstances that were conducive to the development of aggressive behavi or also exhibited positive correlations with the prolactin response. T his association between adverse rearing and the prolactin response was statistically independent of that between aggression and the prolacti n response. Conclusion: In young boys, aggressive behavior and social circumstances that are conducive to the development of aggressive beha vior are positively correlated with a marker of central serotonergic a ctivity.