Whole-blood serotonin and cognitive functioning in autistic individuals and their first-degree relatives.
The relationship between cognitive-intellectual abilities and whole-blood serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) in 18 autistic probands and their first-degree relatives (n = 21 parents, n = 13 siblings) was investigated. Whole-blood 5-HT was significantly negatively associated with verbal-expressive/symbolic abilities for the entire sample. The proportion of variance in cognitive-intellectual performances attributable to whole-blood 5-HT was substantial in the context of variance attributable to familial classification. The relationship between verbal-expressive abilities and whole-blood 5-HT, adjusted for race and familial classification, was noteworthy. Simple correlations between 5-HT and cognitive-intellectual performances were conducted. However, bias related to covariance attributable to race seriously limits such findings. The issue of bias and its relevance to previous research is discussed further.
Cuccaro
M L
ML
William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, Columbia, South Carolina.
Wright
H H
HH
Abramson
R K
RK
Marsteller
F A
FA
Valentine
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014888:Wechsler Scales
D012701:Serotonin