Citation

Tikkanen R, Ducci F, Goldman D, Holi M, Lindberg N, Tiihonen J, Virkkunen M. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2010; 34(5): 853-860.

Affiliation

Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland; Division of Psychological SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom; Laboratory of Neurogenetics, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, Maryland; Helsinki University Hospital (MH), Peijas Psychiatric Hospital, Vantaa, Finland; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Physiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki University Hospital (MV), Kellokoski Psychiatric Hospital, Kellokoski, Finland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01157.x

PMID

20201935

PMCID

PMC3195419

Abstract

Background: A polymorphism in the promoter region of the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) has been shown to alter the effect of persistent drinking and childhood maltreatment on the risk for violent and antisocial behaviors. These findings indicate that MAOA could contribute to inter-individual differences in stress resiliency. Methods: Recidivism in severe violent crimes was assessed after 8 years of nonincarcerated follow-up in a male sample of 174 impulsive Finnish alcoholic violent offenders, the majority of whom exhibited antisocial (ASPD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD) or both. We examined whether MAOA genotype alters the effects of heavy drinking and childhood physical abuse (CPA) on the risk for committing impulsive recidivistic violent crimes. Results: Logistic regression analyses showed that both heavy drinking and CPA were significant independent predictors of recidivism in violent behavior (OR 5.2, p = 0.004 and OR 5.3, p = 0.003) among offenders having the high MAOA activity genotype (MAOA-H), but these predictors showed no effect among offenders carrying the low MAOA activity genotype (MAOA-L). Conclusion: Carriers of the MAOA-H allele have a high risk to commit severe recidivistic impulsive violent crimes after exposure to heavy drinking and CPA.

Language: en