POLYAMINE LEVELS IN JAIL INMATES

• NCJ Number: 14341
• Author(s): C GROESBECK; B D'ASARO
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1407 (NJ)
• Sponsoring Agency: New Jersey State Law Enforcement Planning Agency
• Corporate Author: Morris Cty Office of the Sheriff
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS OF A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE QUANTITY OF POLYAMINES IN THE BLOOD AND BEHAVIOR.

Abstract

JAIL INMATES IN MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY WERE FOUND TO HAVE ABNORMALLY LOW LEVELS OF BLOOD POLYAMINES. (A POLYAMINE IS A COMPOUND WITH MORE THAN ONE AMINO GROUP.) ABNORMAL BLOOD LEVELS OF THESE COMPOUNDS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN SCHIZOPHRENICS AND MANY PERSONALITY TEST SCORES OF INMATES RESEMBLE THOSE OF SCHIZOPHRENICS. INMATES HAVING THE LOWEST BLOOD LEVELS OF ONE PARTICULAR POLYAMINE, SPERMADINE, HAD COMMITTED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE VIOLENT CRIMES THAN INMATES HAVING NORMAL BLOOD SPERMADINE LEVELS. IN ADDITION, THE INMATES TESTED HAD A BROAD RANGE IN BLOOD LEVELS OF HISTAMINE, ANOTHER POLYAMINE, APPROACHING THE RANGE FOUND IN SCHIZOPHRENICS. LOW LEVELS OF A THIRD POLYAMINE, SPERMINE, MAY INDICATE RELATIVE HYPOGLYCEMIA (LOW BLOOD SUGAR). PERSONS WITH HYPOGLYCEMIA CAN EXHIBIT BEHAVIOR DISTURBANCES INDEPENDENTLY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA. THE RELATIONSHIP OF SPERMINE TO DIET IS DISCUSSED AND THE NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE RELATIONSHIP OF POLYAMINES TO BEHAVIOR IS EMPHASIZED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS PROVIDED.