NCJ Number
138109
Journal
Archives of General Psychiatry Volume: 46 Dated: (July 1989) Pages: 600-603
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The degree to which psychobiological variables can discriminate recidivists from nonrecidivists was tested in a sample of 58 violent offenders and impulsive fire setters who were followed for an average of 3 years after release from prison.
Abstract
It was hypothesized that a low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) or homovanillic acid (HVA) concentration and a low blood glucose nadir would be associated with recidivism. The subjects were classified according to outcome as recidivists (n=13) or nonrecidivists (n=45). Recidivists who committed a new violent offense or arson had significantly lower CSF 5-HIAA and HVA concentrations and blood glucose nadirs after oral glucose challenge than did nonrecidivists. A discriminant analysis, based on the blood glucose nadir and CSF 5-HIAA concentration, classified 84.2 percent of the subjects correctly. Psychiatric diagnoses were made according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-III criteria. The psychobiological variables as such or in combination with the behavioral variables had more predictive power for the outcome than any combination of behavioral variables. 31 references