Is there a role of serotonin in the disruptive behavior disorders?
ABSTRACT The basic and clinical research literature is reviewed to assess the possible role of serotonin (5HT) in the modulation of brain functions that appear to be altered in the disruptive behavior disorders of childhood. Although the number of 5HT cell bodies are remarkably few, numbering in the thousands, they project extensively to almost all brain areas and appear involved in a large number of psychophysiologic functions. This supports a dimensional (symptom-related) rather than a categorical (diagnoses-related) view of central 5HT dysfunction in human behavior. There is substantial evidence implicating 5HT systems in the modulation of motor activity, impulsive aggression, and learning and memory. In both animals and humans, reductions in 5HT function appear to exacerbate hyperactivity and aggression, and agents that potentiate 5HT transmission reduce activity and aggression. Nonetheless, the clinical literature is insufficient to implicate 5HT systems in ADHD. Aggression in adu
