Association between S-COMT activity and impulsive and premeditated aggression in a population of violent offenders: preliminary results of a cross sectional study

Abstract

Aggression can be conceptualised as a physical act towards another person, verbal offenses, destructive acts towards objects, and self-inflicted harmful acts. It is highly frequent in the context of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and has been correlated to disturbances in the dopaminergic system. In the prefrontal cortex, the dopamine metabolism depends on catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). DRD2 receptors also play a role in the expression of aggression by modulating dopamine metabolism, in the striatum. In this study, we evaluated the association between COMT activity and type of aggression, in a sample of violent male offenders. Participants were subjected to sociodemographic, clinical, and psychometric evaluation through standardised instruments. Erythrocyte S-COMT activity was measured, and COMT and the DRD2 genotypes were analysed. Individuals displaying impulsive aggression showed lower S-COMT erythrocyte activity (p=0.026) and lower frequency of Val/Val (rs4680) genotype than individuals with premeditated aggression (p=0.047). S-COMT erythrocyte activity was positively correlated with the PCL-R total score (r=0.34; p=0.018). In conclusion, our preliminary results indicate that COMT can be associated to different aggression types in violent offenders, and it can represent a possible pharmacological target for the treatment of impulsive and premeditated aggression, in incarcerated patients.