Relationship of psychobiological variables to recidivism in violent offenders and impulsive fire setters. A follow-up study.

Fifty-eight violent offenders and impulsive fire setters were followed up for an average of 3 years after release from prison. Recidivists who committed a new violent offense or arson had significantly lower cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid concentrations and blood glucose nadirs after oral glucose challenge than did nonrecidivists. A discriminant analysis, based on the blood glucose nadir and cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentration, correctly classified 84.2% of the subjects.

Psychobiological concomitants of history of suicide attempts among violent offenders and impulsive fire setters.

Psychobiological data on 58 violent offenders and impulsive fire setters were analyzed for associations with history of suicide attempts. Subjects with a history of suicide attempts serious enough to require an admission to a medical facility had significantly lower mean cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol concentrations than subjects who had not made such attempts. A linear discriminant function analysis based on psychobiological and behavioral variables correctly classified 79% of the subjects according to the suicide attempt history positive and negative outcomes.

Cerebrospinal fluid monoamine metabolite levels in male arsonists.

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.

Reactive hypoglycemic tendency among arsonists.

A reactive hypoglycemic tendency during the glucose tolerance test was connected with fire-setting behavior. These hypoglycemic arsonists not only fulfilled the criteria for either intermittent explosive disorder or violent antisocial personality, but also those for borderline personality disorder. They seemed to differ from other arsonists in alcohol abuse and behavior during the fire-setting acts, and, in personality profile in MMPI, also differed from classical violent offenders with intermittent explosive disorder.