Reason For Violence After Booze

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The monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene is an outer membrane mitochondrial enzyme that breaks down monoamines such as serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine. A common polymorphism in MAOA results in high or low-activity MAOA that has been linked to aggression and violence.

Drinking and triggered high-activity MAOA can predict the risk of impulsive violence, while aging may decrease this risk. For their study, Roope Tikkanen, a researcher in the department of psychiatry at Helsinki University Central Hospital and corresponding author for the study and his colleagues observed the MAOA gene, alcohol consumption and aging as predictors for recidivism in impulsive violent behavior among a sample of 174 Finnish alcoholic male offenders originally recruited between 1990 and 1998.

The individuals were given a psychiatric assessment; in addition, their alcohol consumption was measured, their violent behaviour was assessed, and they were genotyped for polymorphisms of MAOA. "Increased alcohol consumption and aging seem to predict violence," said Tikkanen, "although these risk factors "work" in opposite directions, and only concern individuals who have been given by nature a high-activity variant of MAOA."

In addition to this, he also declared that individuals with low-activity MAOA seem to be at risk for criminality and violence after exposure to severe childhood maltreatment. "People react quite differently to acute alcohol exposure," Tikkanen said.

However the high-activity MAOA offenders may be helped to control their violent behaviours by coaching to maintain alcohol abstinence, and possibly by psychopharmacological treatment to increase central serotonin levels.

"Most individuals become relaxed and talkative, while some particularly persons who are introverted while sober become expansively extroverted and aggressive. "A dramatic change from a normally introverted personality to extroverted aggressiveness and uncontrolled behaviours under the influence of alcohol was formerly called "pathological intoxication" in Finland," said Tikkanen. AGENCIES

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