Lack of seasonal variation in pediatric lumbar cerebrospinal fluid neurotransmitter metabolite concentrations.
Seasonal variation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamines, particularly 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) has been reported for psychiatrically ill and normal adults. Circannual variability was examined for a group of 72 children (mean age = 159.4 +/- 40.3 (SD), range 77-238 months), with a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) (attention deficit disorder, oppositional disorder and/or conduct disorder), from whom CSF had been obtained systematically. There were no seasonal differences in mean concentrations of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), HVA, or 5-HIAA, either for the group as a whole, for the separate diagnostic (OCD vs DBD) categories or for the pre-pubertal subgroup. Log-corrected HVA concentrations for the Tanner IV and V subgroup differed by season with summer concentrations less than those of fall (P = 0.06) and winter (P = 0.005). The results suggest that pubertal changes may play a role in any expression of circannual variability.
Swedo
S E
SE
Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Kruesi
M J
MJ
Leonard
H L
HL
Hamburger
S D
SD
Cheslow
D L
DL
Stipetic
M
M
Potter
W Z
WZ
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006018:Glycols / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012621:Seasons
D006018:Glycols; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D006719:Homovanillic Acid