ABSTRACT
Whole blood serotonin and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in boys with schizophrenia, schizotypal personality disorder, or major depressive disorder was compared with that of boys serving as controls. Boys with schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder had significantly higher platelet MAO than boys with major depressive disorder or controls. Boys with major depressive disorder had lower whole blood serotonin than boys with schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder.
Subject(s)
Blood Platelets/enzymology , Depressive Disorder/enzymology , Monoamine Oxidase/blood , Schizophrenia, Childhood/enzymology , Serotonin/blood , Adolescent , Child , Humans , Male , Schizotypal Personality Disorder/enzymologyABSTRACT
Two hypotonic boys, aged 7 years, 3 months and 7 yers, 7 months, who possessed sufficient speech to demonstrate a severe thought disorder and who differed markedly in their activity levels, were subjected to a biopsy of the quadriceps muscle. The biopsies revealed atrophy of type 2 muscle fibers, as well as variability in the size of these fibers. The findings could be compatible with a denervation phenomenon.
Subject(s)
Muscle Hypotonia/pathology , Schizophrenia, Childhood/pathology , Adenosine Triphosphatases/metabolism , Child , Humans , Male , Muscle Hypotonia/enzymology , Muscles/enzymology , Muscles/pathology , Schizophrenia, Childhood/enzymologySubject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/enzymology , Creatine Kinase/blood , Depression/enzymology , Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase/blood , Muscles/enzymology , Schizophrenia/enzymology , 17-Hydroxycorticosteroids/urine , Body Weight , Creatine Kinase/cerebrospinal fluid , Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase/cerebrospinal fluid , Humans , Muscles/metabolism , Myoglobinuria , Parents , Schizophrenia, Childhood/enzymologyABSTRACT
In this study monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was measured in blood platelets of 21 individuals (age 2 6/12-19 years) who were diagnosed at preschool age as schizophrenics; MAO activity was not significantly different from that found in normals. An insignificant correlation was found between MAO activity in patients and age; a similar correlation for normals was also insignificant. In a sample of 15 families, no significant correlation between MAO activity of patients and their parents was obtained.
Subject(s)
Blood Platelets/enzymology , Monoamine Oxidase/blood , Schizophrenia, Childhood/enzymology , Schizophrenia/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Schizophrenia/bloodABSTRACT
A previous report suggested that plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) is elevated in childhood autism. We measured plasma DBH in 15 Children with functional psychosis and in 10 psychotic children with known organic etiology. DBH activity was significantly elevated in the children with functional psychoses and showed a significant correlation with age that is not reported for this age range in normals. It is possible that children with functional psychoses show an abnormal continuation of the rise in plasma DBH activity characteristic of infancy. No differences between children with functional psychoses and children with organic psychoses were found for red blood cell catechol-O-methyl-transferase, plasma monoamine oxidase, or plasma cyclic AMP.
Subject(s)
Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase/blood , Psychotic Disorders/enzymology , Adolescent , Age Factors , Catechol O-Methyltransferase/blood , Child , Cyclic AMP/blood , Erythrocytes/enzymology , Female , Humans , Male , Monoamine Oxidase/blood , Neurocognitive Disorders/blood , Schizophrenia, Childhood/enzymologyABSTRACT
Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) activity was studied in three groups of institutionalized children: (1) a group of schizophrenic children; (2) a heterogeneous group of chronic psychotic children characterized by severe symptomatology and onset before 5 years of age; (3) a group of acting-out but nonpsychotic children. Erythrocyte COMT activity was found to be significantly lower among the schizophrenic subjects in contrast to the greater activity in both the other groups--the nonpsychotic and chronic psychotic children. The difference in COMT activity between psychotic groups appeared to be related to diagnosis and age of onset of disorder. Generality of findings is limited by the small sample size (N = 42) and by the difficulties inherent in the diagnosis of severe mental disorder in children. However, this preliminary study suggests that enzymatic activity may be associated with the development of schizophrenia in children.