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ABSTRACT: Background: The stability and developmental variation of severl neurobiological measures in boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined.Methods: The prolactin (PRL) response to fenfluramine (FEN) challenge was used to assess central serotonergic (5-HT) functioning in 10 8–11-year-old boys with ADHD. In addition, platelet 5-HT, as well as plasma levels of the catecholamine metabolites 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl-glycol (MHPG) and homovanillic acid were ascertained. These neurobiological variables were reassessed in the same children 2–3 years later using the identical procedures.Results: The PRL response to FEN challenge was the only measure found to be stable across the evaluations (r = .58), although the magnitude of the response decreased significantly with age. Plasma MHPG level significantly increased with age.Conclusions: Central 5-HT function, as measured by the PRL response to FEN, may represent a stable trait. The importance of considering developmental factors when interpreting neurobiological data is discussed.
Biological Psychiatry 03/1999; · 8.28 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between central serotonergic (5-HT) function and history of parental aggression in aggressive and nonaggressive boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).MethodHistory of psychiatric symptoms was assessed in the biological parents of 41 boys with ADHD. The relationship between 5-HT function in aggressive and nonaggressive probands, as assessed via the prolactin response to fenfluramine (FEN) challenge, and parental history of aggression was examined.ResultsAggressive boys with a parental history of aggressive behavior had a significantly lower prolactin response to FEN challenge than aggressive boys without a parental history of aggression. Nonaggressive boys had a prolactin response midway between those of the two aggressive subgroups, and their prolactin response did not vary as a function of parental aggression. Children subdivided on the basis of parental history of other psychiatric symptoms did not differ in their response to the FEN challenge.ConclusionsThese data indicate an association between parent aggressive behavior and lower 5-HT function in aggressive boys with ADHD but do not indicate the extent to which this association is environmentally and/or genetically transmitted. There may be different neurochemical mechanisms in familial and nonfamilial aggressive children, which have clinical implications for pharmacological interventions.
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 11/1997; · 6.44 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Data for an "A-X" version of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) were collected from 138 7–11 yr old nonreferred boys. Most CPT measures were age-dependent, reliable, sensitive to decrements in performance over time, and resistant to practice effects. Most were unrelated to estimates of intellectual functioning, but several were significantly correlated with academic achievement. Reaction time (RT) data support the notion that CPT measures can be divided into distinct inattention, impulsivity, and dyscontrol scores. In this normal sample, correlations with behavior ratings were relatively weak. Further research is necessary before widespread clinical use of this instrument is warranted. However, it appears to be a useful research tool and may have a role in the assessment of attention and impulsivity in a wide range of psychiatrically, neurologically, and educationally impaired children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Psychological Assessment 11/1991; 3(4):603-608. · 2.99 Impact Factor
