CORTISOL IN ALCOHOLICS WITH A DISORDERED AGGRESSION CONTROL

Considerable evidence exists that the limbic system and the hypothalamus play an important role in the HPA axis disturbances found in depressive disorders. Evidence also exists that the limbic system plays a role in the modulation of aggressive behavior. Yet the HPA function of individuals with a disordered regulation of aggression has received little scrutiny. Because aggressive behavior has been observed to be extensively correlated with heavy alcohol use, we explored the HPA function of alcoholics who had had a life-long history of violence. Basal 0700h cortisol was measured in 4 consecutive wk following cessation of drinking in 19 alcoholics with a history of depression, and 17 alcoholics with a history of violent behavior, eight of whom had been incarcerated because of the severity of their violent acts. When compared with alcoholics with no problem in mood or aggression regulation, significant cortisol increases were found in the group of patients who had been incarcerated for violent acts and not in any other group. This increase persisted for 4 wk after cessation of drinking. A variety of variables, including several measures of alcohol consumption, amounts of benzodiazepines used for detoxification, and liver function tests, failed to show significant associations with cortisol. Data are interpreted as indicating that individuals displaying severe forms of violence could have a dysregulated HPA function revealed by exposure to excessive amounts of alcohol.