Physiological responses to d-fenfluramine and ipsapirone challenge correlate with indices of aggression in males with personality disorder.

Hormonal responses to challenge with the 5-HT2A/2C probe d-fenfluramine and hormonal and thermal responses to challenge with the 5-HT1A probe ipsapirone were correlated with self-report and historical assessments of aggression in a pilot sample of eight male personality-disordered individuals. Prolactin responses to d-fenfluramine and cortisol responses to ipsapirone challenge were inversely correlated with self-reported assaultiveness. Thermal responses to ipsapirone were inversely correlated with a historical assessment of aggression. Since none of these physiological indices of 5-HT system function were intercorrelated, it is possible that simultaneous assessment of these 5-HT indices may yield a more comprehensive assessment of the relationship between central 5-HT system function and aggressive behavior in humans.