TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2002//
TI  - Serotonergic functioning in children with oppositional defiant disorder: a sumatriptan challenge study
JO  - Biological psychiatry
A1  - Snoek, Heddeke
A1  - Van Goozen, Stephanie H. M.
A1  - Matthys, Walter
A1  - Sigling, Hein O.
A1  - Koppeschaar, Hans P. F.
A1  - Westenberg, Herman G. M.
A1  - Van Engeland, Herman
SP  - 319
EP  - 325
VL  - 51
IS  - 4
N2  - 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.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0006-3223
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -