Endorphin activity in childhood psychosis. Spinal fluid levels in 24 cases.
Twenty 2- to 13-year-old infantile autistic children (16 boys and four girls) and four 4- to 13-year-old children (two boys and two girls) with other kinds of childhood psychoses were compared with eight 6-month-old to 6-year-old normal children with regard to cerebrospinal fluid contents of endorphin fractions I and II. The psychosis groups showed higher mean cerebrospinal fluid endorphin fraction II levels, and 11 (55%) of the 20 autistic patients showed values higher than the highest in the group of normal children. There was a trend toward a correlation between high fraction II levels and self-destructiveness and decreased pain sensibility in the psychotic children. The results are regarded as preliminary but as warranting further research in this potentially fruitful field.
D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004723:Endorphins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000175:diagnosis; D012684:Sensory Thresholds
D004723:Endorphins