Robert M. Sapolsky Quote
Drugs that decrease serotonergic tone (i.e., decreasing serotonin levels or sensitivity to serotonin) increase impulsive aggression; raising the tone does the opposite. This generates some simple predictions—all of the following should be associated with impulsive aggression, as they will produce low serotonin signaling: a. Low-activity variants of the gene for tryptophan hydroxylase (TH), which makes serotonin b. High-activity variants of the gene for monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A), which degrades serotonin c. High-activity variants of the gene for the serotonin transporter (5HTT), which removes serotonin from the synapse d. Variants of genes for serotonin receptors that are less sensitive to serotonin
Drugs that decrease serotonergic tone (i.e., decreasing serotonin levels or sensitivity to serotonin) increase impulsive aggression; raising the tone does the opposite. This generates some simple predictions—all of the following should be associated with impulsive aggression, as they will produce low serotonin signaling: a. Low-activity variants of the gene for tryptophan hydroxylase (TH), which makes serotonin b. High-activity variants of the gene for monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A), which degrades serotonin c. High-activity variants of the gene for the serotonin transporter (5HTT), which removes serotonin from the synapse d. Variants of genes for serotonin receptors that are less sensitive to serotonin