UPTON, NY — An image depicting research findings linking brain chemistry with aggressive personality has been named “2007 Image of the Year” by the Society for Nuclear Medicine (SNM). The research, which was performed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, showed that healthy men with lower levels of a particular brain enzyme exhibited more aggressive personality traits, as measured by a standard personality questionnaire.
This neuroimaging research — in normal, non-violent subjects — strengthens the link between low levels of the brain enzyme, known as monoamine oxidase A (MAO A), and aggressive behavior, which has been a topic of research for more than two decades.
“Our study provides evidence of an association between brain MAO A level and aggressive personality traits in normal individuals,” said Nelly Alia-Klein, an assistant scientist at Brookhaven Lab’s Center for Translational Neuroimaging, who presented her work at the society’s 54th annual meeting in Washington, D.C. “If this model of understanding is tested with individuals who actually engage in aggressive or antisocial behavior, such as domestic violence, it could show promise in the future for pharmacological intervention against abnormal aggression,” she added.
The researchers assessed brain MAO A activity in 27 healthy, non-violent male volunteers using positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. This technique uses a radiotracer-tagged molecule that binds to brain MAO A and can be measured quantitatively by PET. The subjects also completed a standard, 240-question personality questionnaire, which gave the researchers a complete profile of the men’s personalities, not merely their tendency toward aggression.
The main finding: The lower the subjects’ brain MAO A activity levels, the more they answered “yes” to statements about taking advantage of others, causing them discomfort, having a short temper, vindictiveness, and enjoying violent movies. “Only aggressive personality was related to brain MAO A activity — not other personality dimensions,” Alia-Klein emphasized.
It is important to note that MAO-inhibitor drugs are effective in treating depression and are not associated with aggressive behavior, she added.
SNM past president and historian Henry N. Wagner Jr. announced the depiction of the Brookhaven Center for Translational Neuroimaging findings as the Image of the Year at a press conference on June 4 during the society’s annual meeting. The honored image, chosen from thousands presented at the meeting, graphically shows the group’s approach providing a visual model of their scientific study into the uncharted gene-brain-behavior complex. It consists of four images, including a PET scan showing brain MAO A activity.
“One of the major scientific contributions of molecular imaging is its ability to relate human brain chemistry and behavior,” said Wagner, who for 30 years has summarized current trends in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine, and annually selects an Image of the Year at the society’s meeting.
Alia-Klein’s research is funded by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science; by the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and by the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, a mental health research association.
Note to local editors: Nelly Alia-Klein lives in Great Neck, New York.
One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation of State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization. Visit Brookhaven Lab's electronic newsroom for links, news archives, graphics, and more: http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom
The Society for Nuclear Medicine (SNM) is an international scientific and professional organization of more than 16,000 members dedicated to promoting the science, technology and practical applications of molecular and nuclear imaging to diagnose, manage and treat diseases in women, men and children. Founded more than 50 years ago, SNM continues to provide essential resources for health care practitioners and patients; publish the most prominent peer-reviewed journal in the field (the Journal of Nuclear Medicine); host the premier annual meeting for medical imaging; sponsor research grants, fellowships and awards; and train physicians, technologists, scientists, physicists, chemists and radiopharmacists in state-of-the-art imaging procedures and advances. SNM members have introduced—and continue to explore—biological and technological innovations in medicine that noninvasively investigate the molecular basis of diseases, benefiting countless generations of patients. SNM is based in Reston, Va.; additional information can be found here: http://www.snm.org.