Endorphin activity in childhood psychosis. Spinal fluid levels in 24 cases.

• Twenty 2- to 13-year-old infantile autistic children (16 boys and four girls) and four 4- to 13-year-old children (two boys and two girls) with other kinds of childhood psychoses were compared with eight 6-month-old to 6-year-old normal children with regard to cerebrospinal fluid contents of endorphin fractions I and II. The psychosis groups showed higher mean cerebrospinal fluid endorphin fraction II levels, and 11 (55%) of the 20 autistic patients showed values higher than the highest in the group of normal children. There was a trend toward a correlation between high fraction II levels and self-destructiveness and decreased pain sensibility in the psychotic children. The results are regarded as preliminary but as warranting further research in this potentially fruitful field.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Adolescent

Autistic Disorder

Cerebrospinal fluid

Diagnosis

Psychology

Child

Child

Preschool

Endorphins

Cerebrospinal fluid

Female

Humans

Intellectual Disability

Cerebrospinal fluid

Diagnosis

Psychology

Intelligence

Male

Pain

Physiopathology

Psychotic Disorders

Cerebrospinal fluid

Diagnosis

Psychology

Self Mutilation

Diagnosis

Sensory Thresholds

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)