Low Central Nervous System Serotonergic Activity is Traitlike and Correlates With Impulsive Behaviour: a Nonhuman Primate Model Investigating Genetic and Environmental Influences on Neurotransmission

Serotonergic activity in the central nervous system of rhesus macaques was studied. Researchers found that interindividual differences in cerebrospinal fluid 5-HIAA are trait-like, that they remain fairly stable in an individual over time. Low levels of 5-HIAA were found in individuals with a higher predisposition for aggressive, violent, or suicidal activities. Psychological, genetic & environmental reasons for how low 5-HIAA levels develop are discussed. (144 refs.)