title: Growth hormone treatment improves vitality and behavioural issues in children with Prader-Willi syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prader-Willi syndrome is a neurogenetic disorder, with characteristics such as obesity, short stature, muscular weakness, intellectual deficiencies and deviant social behaviour. This study evaluated whether growth hormone treatment of children with Prader-Willi syndrome resulted in possible and lasting effects on their cognition and behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomised six girls and 13 boys to either a treatment group or a control group. The treatment group received growth hormone (Genotropin(®) 0.033 mg/kg/day) for 2 years, while the control group did not receive treatment in the first year and then received a double dose in the second year. Treatment was then stopped in both groups for 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups showed the same intellectual disabilities at the start of the study, and no difference was found after the first and second years. The parents reported that the children showed increased vitality during treatment. When treatment was stopped, the children showed a marked exacerbation of behavioural problems, a significant increase in body fat and a decrease in insulin-like growth factor 1 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe this is the first study to show that abrupt-ceasing growth hormone treatment led to a successive deterioration in behavioural problems in children with Prader-Willi syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Astrid Lindgren Childrens' Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: E Martin
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ritzén
authors.forename: Ann Christin
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lindgren
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
keywords: Behavioural issues; Growth hormone; Insulin-like growth factor 1; Obesity; Prader-Willi syndrome