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Serotonergic functioning in children with oppositional defiant disorder: a sumatriptan challenge study.

Heddeke Snoek·Stephanie H M van Goozen·Walter Matthys·Hein O Sigling·Hans P F Koppeschaar·Herman G M Westenberg·Herman van Engeland
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Several studies support the notion that disturbances in the central serotonergic function are related to impulsive aggression. There is recent evidence from studies on 5-HT(1B) knock-out mice that this specific receptor is involved in impulsive aggressive behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor functioning in normal intelligent hospitalized children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). METHODS: The growth hormone (GH) response to a challenge with the 5-HT(1B/1D) agonist sumatriptan was examined in 20 children with an ODD, of whom 13 had an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbidity, and 15 normal control subjects (NC). Blood samples for growth hormone were collected repeatedly between 8:30 and 12:00 AM. Sumatriptan was administered at 10 AM. The effect of stress due to this procedure was assessed by measuring salivary cortisol. RESULTS: The GH response was significantly stronger in the children with ODD. After sumatriptan injection NC children showed a significant increase in cortisol; no such pattern was present in the ODD group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the postsynaptic 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor is functionally more sensitive in children with ODD.

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AggressionAnalysis of VarianceAttention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior DisordersChildFemaleGrowth HormoneHospitalizationHumansImpulsive BehaviorMaleReceptors, SerotoninSerotoninSerotonin Receptor AgonistsSumatriptanJournal Article

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Heddeke Snoek, Stephanie H M van Goozen, Walter Matthys, Hein O Sigling, Hans P F Koppeschaar, Herman G M Westenberg, Herman van Engeland. 2002-02-15. Serotonergic functioning in children with oppositional defiant disorder: a sumatriptan challenge study.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01230-6

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