Virkkunen M, Nuutila A, Goodwin F K, Linnoila M
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1987 Mar;44(3):241-7. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800150053007.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamine metabolite levels were studied in 20 arsonists, 20 habitually violent offenders, and ten healthy inpatient volunteers. The arsonists and violent offenders had been in prison an average of six months before the study. Both the raw data and data adjusted by analysis of covariance for group differences in age, height, sex, and season of the lumbar puncture showed significantly lower concentrations of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the arsonists than in the other groups. The finding remained the same when arsonists with violent suicide attempts were excluded from the analysis. Although CSF concentrations of MHPG or 5-HIAA did not correlate with the severity of repeated fire-setting behavior, low blood glucose nadir in the oral glucose tolerance test (a measure of the tendency toward hypoglycemia) did. These results support the hypothesis that poor impulse control in criminal offenders is associated with low levels of certain CSF monoamine metabolites and with a hypoglycemic tendency.
对20名纵火犯、20名习惯性暴力罪犯和10名健康住院志愿者的脑脊液（CSF）单胺代谢物水平进行了研究。在研究前，纵火犯和暴力罪犯平均已入狱6个月。原始数据以及通过协方差分析对年龄、身高、性别和腰椎穿刺季节的组间差异进行调整后的数据均显示，纵火犯的3-甲氧基-4-羟基苯乙二醇（MHPG）和5-羟吲哚乙酸（5-HIAA）浓度显著低于其他组。当将有暴力自杀企图的纵火犯排除在分析之外时，这一发现仍然成立。虽然脑脊液中MHPG或5-HIAA的浓度与反复纵火行为的严重程度无关，但口服葡萄糖耐量试验中的低血糖最低点（衡量低血糖倾向的指标）却与之相关。这些结果支持了这样一种假设，即刑事罪犯的冲动控制能力差与某些脑脊液单胺代谢物水平低以及低血糖倾向有关。
