Prefrontal cortex lesions and MAO-A modulate aggression in penetrating traumatic brain injury.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study investigates the interaction between brain lesion location and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) in the genesis of aggression in patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury (PTBI).

Methods

We enrolled 155 patients with PTBI and 42 controls drawn from the Vietnam Head Injury Study registry. Patients with PTBI were divided according to lesion localization (prefrontal cortex [PFC] vs non-PFC) and were genotyped for the MAO-A polymorphism linked to low and high transcriptional activity. Aggression was assessed with the aggression/agitation subscale of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-a).

Results

Patients with the highest levels of aggression preferentially presented lesions in PFC territories. A significant interaction between MAO-A transcriptional

SUBMITTER: Pardini M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3068009 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature