Catecholamine balance during stress anticipation: An abnormality in maximum security hospital patients

The rates and ratios of excretions of adrenaline and noradrenaline were compared in maximum security patients (social deviants), military mental hospital patients and normals. Urine samples were taken in routine and stressed situations.

The relative rate of adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion under daily routine was similar in the three groups studied. However, during periods of anticipation of unfamiliar stressful situations, approximately a quarter of the socially-deviant group exhibited an atypical increase in amount of noradrenaline and decrease in adrenaline. This resulted in a catecholamine balance that differed strikingly from the other subjects. The deviant subjects with abnormally high noradrenaline/adrenaline ratios also exhibited low physiological “anxiety” responsivity to stressors and had a history of convictions for extreme physical violence. These findings suggest that an unusual biochemical and physiological stress anticipation response is found in a group of patients with aggressive psychopathic behaviour.