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Fluoxetine increases relative metabolic rate in prefrontal cortex in impulsive aggression

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Abstract

Rationale

Impulsive aggressive personality disordered patients have been shown to have decreased relative glucose metabolism in orbito-frontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus compared with normal subjects. In addition, patients with impulsive aggression have an attenuation of symptoms with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment.

Objectives

The goals of the present study were to attempt to replicate the finding of improvement in impulsive aggression in borderline personality disorder with SSRIs and to investigate the specific cortical areas modified by medication, which might underlie the observed clinical improvement using 18FDG-PET.

Methods

Ten impulsive aggressive patients with borderline personality disorder were imaged with 18F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography at baseline and after receiving fluoxetine at 20 mg/day for 12 weeks. Anatomical MRIs were coregistered to PET and relative metabolic rates were obtained in 39 Brodmann areas.

Results

Brodmann areas 11 and 12 in the orbito-frontal cortex showed significant increases in relative metabolic rate. Significant clinical improvement was also observed as assessed by the Overt Aggression Scale-Modified.

Conclusions

These changes are consistent with a normalizing effect of fluoxetine on prefrontal cortex metabolism in impulsive aggressive disorder.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by a grant from Eli Lilly and Co. This work was also supported in part by a grant (5-M01 RR00071) for the Mount Sinai General Clinical Research Center from the National Center for Research Resources, at the NIH. The authors thank Vivian Mitropoulou, administrative director of the GCRC, for her support of this project and Mary Corsey for technical assistance. The research conducted complied with the laws and standards of the United States of America, and guidelines of the IRB at Mount Sinai.

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Correspondence to Antonia S. New.

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New, A.S., Buchsbaum, M.S., Hazlett, E.A. et al. Fluoxetine increases relative metabolic rate in prefrontal cortex in impulsive aggression. Psychopharmacology 176, 451–458 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1913-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1913-8

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