OBJECTIVE: Preclinical and human family studies clearly link monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) to aggression and antisocial personality (ASP). The 30-base pair variable number tandem repeat in the MAOA promoter regulates MAOA levels, but its effects on ASP in humans are unclear. METHODS: We evaluated the association of the variable number tandem repeat of the MAOA promoter with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, ASP disorder (ASPD) traits in a community sample of 435 participants from the Hopkins Epidemiology of Personality Disorders Study. RESULTS: We did not find an association between the activity of the MAOA allele and ASPD traits; however, among whites, when subjects with a history of childhood physical abuse were excluded, the remaining subjects with low-activity alleles had ASPD trait counts that were 41% greater than those with high-activity alleles (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The high-activity MAOA allele is protective against ASP among whites with no history of physical abuse, lending support to a link between MAOA expression and antisocial behavior.
OBJECTIVE: Preclinical and human family studies clearly link monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) to aggression and antisocial personality (ASP). The 30-base pair variable number tandem repeat in the MAOA promoter regulates MAOA levels, but its effects on ASP in humans are unclear. METHODS: We evaluated the association of the variable number tandem repeat of the MAOA promoter with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, ASP disorder (ASPD) traits in a community sample of 435 participants from the Hopkins Epidemiology of Personality Disorders Study. RESULTS: We did not find an association between the activity of the MAOA allele and ASPD traits; however, among whites, when subjects with a history of childhood physical abuse were excluded, the remaining subjects with low-activity alleles had ASPD trait counts that were 41% greater than those with high-activity alleles (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The high-activity MAOA allele is protective against ASP among whites with no history of physical abuse, lending support to a link between MAOA expression and antisocial behavior.
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Authors: A W Loranger; N Sartorius; A Andreoli; P Berger; P Buchheim; S M Channabasavanna; B Coid; A Dahl; R F Diekstra; B Ferguson Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 1994-03
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Authors: David Huizinga; Brett C Haberstick; Andrew Smolen; Scott Menard; Susan E Young; Robin P Corley; Michael C Stallings; Jennifer Grotpeter; John K Hewitt Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2006-10-01 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Susan E Young; Andrew Smolen; John K Hewitt; Brett C Haberstick; Michael C Stallings; Robin P Corley; Thomas J Crowley Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2006-06 Impact factor: 18.112
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Authors: Amy L Byrd; Stephen B Manuck; Samuel W Hawes; Tayler J Vebares; Vishwajit Nimgaonkar; Kodavali V Chowdari; Alison E Hipwell; Kate Keenan; Stephanie D Stepp Journal: Dev Psychopathol Date: 2018-02-22