@article{ref1,
title="Serotonergic functioning in depressed abused children: clinical and familial correlates",
journal="Biological psychiatry",
year="1998",
author="Kaufman, J. and Birmaher, B. and Perel, J. and Dahl, R. E. and Stull, S. and Brent, D. and Trubnick, L. and al-Shabbout, M. and Ryan, N. D.",
volume="44",
number="10",
pages="973-981",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to examine serotonergic functioning and concomitant clinical and familial correlates in depressed abused children. METHODS: L-5-Hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP) (0.8 mg/kg) was administered intravenously to 10 depressed abused (MDD-AB), 10 depressed nonabused (MDD-NA), and 10 normal control nonabused (NC-NA) children. The children in the two nonabused cohorts represent a small matched subset of children from a larger interlocking study of the psychobiology of depression. Blood samples for prolactin and cortisol were collected from 30 min before to 2.5 hours after L-5-HTP infusion. RESULTS: The MDD-AB children secreted significantly more prolactin post-L-5-HTP than the children in the other two groups. There were no differences in baseline prolactin or any of the cortisol measures. Total prolactin post-L-5-HTP was significantly correlated with clinical ratings of aggressive behavior (rho = .48). In addition, children with a family history positive for suicide attempt (MDD-AB: n = 7; MDD-NA: n = 5; NC-NA: n = 2) secreted significantly more prolactin post-L-5-HTP than children with no family history of suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Dysregulation in the serotonergic system in abused children appears to be related to both familial and experiential factors.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0006-3223",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}