BACKGROUND:
Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is newly appreciated as a commonly occurring disorder of impulsive aggression. Since aggression and impulsivity are under genetic influence, IED may be familial.
METHODS:
Blinded and controlled family history study of IED and co-morbid conditions in an outpatient clinical research center for impulsive aggression. The subjects were first-degree relatives of individuals who did and did not meet criteria for IED by DSM-IV and Research Criteria.
RESULTS:
Elevated Morbid Risk of IED was observed in relatives of IED Probands compared with relatives of Non-IED Probands. This familial signal of IED was not affected by comorbidity in the IED Probands of comorbidity in the relatives of the IED Probands.
CONCLUSIONS:
IED, as defined by research criteria, appears to be familial and may not be an artifact of other co-morbid conditions.
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