Abstract
Objective: Serotonin is an important mediator of gut sensation and motility. The authors' aim was to determine whether inadvertent gastrointestinal (GI) distress to serotonergic challenge predicted future major depressive and/or anxiety disorders in exposed children. Method: L-5-hydroxytryptophan was administered to 119 prepubertal children free of psychiatric disorder as part of a psychobiological cohort study initially designed to examine familial loading for mood disorder as the exposure of interest. Subjects were followed longitudinally with standardized psychiatric interviews to identify new-onset mood and anxiety disorders over 90.3 ± 29.2 months, with the average assessment interval being 16.6 ± 6.2 months. Reports of GI distress in a subgroup during serotonergic challenge led the authors to examine GI distress to infusion as an exposure post hoc and to perform survival analysis using major depressive and/or anxiety disorders as the outcomes of interest. Results: GI distress to serotonergic challenge was experienced by 23 subjects, with 7 (30.4%) developing an emotional disorder during follow-up in comparison to 12 (10.4%) of 96 nondistressed subjects. The distressed group was at significantly greater risk of subsequent major depression and/or anxiety (p = .026), even after controlling for family history of psychiatric disorder. Conclusions: GI distress to serotonergic challenge in childhood is associated with heightened risk for subsequent major depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Studies of serotonergic neurotransmission may aid our understanding of nonrandom associations between functional GI symptoms and emotional symptoms and disorders.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1221-1226 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Anxiety
- Comorbidity
- Depression
- Nausea
- Pain
- Serotonin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
Cite this
Gastrointestinal distress to serotonergic challenge : A risk marker for emotional disorder? / Campo, John V.; Dahl, Ronald E.; Williamson, Douglas E.; Birmaher, Boris; Perel, James M.; Ryan, Neal D.
In: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 42, No. 10, 10.2003, p. 1221-1226.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Gastrointestinal distress to serotonergic challenge
T2 - A risk marker for emotional disorder?
AU - Campo, John V.
AU - Dahl, Ronald E.
AU - Williamson, Douglas E.
AU - Birmaher, Boris
AU - Perel, James M.
AU - Ryan, Neal D.
PY - 2003/10
Y1 - 2003/10
N2 - Objective: Serotonin is an important mediator of gut sensation and motility. The authors' aim was to determine whether inadvertent gastrointestinal (GI) distress to serotonergic challenge predicted future major depressive and/or anxiety disorders in exposed children. Method: L-5-hydroxytryptophan was administered to 119 prepubertal children free of psychiatric disorder as part of a psychobiological cohort study initially designed to examine familial loading for mood disorder as the exposure of interest. Subjects were followed longitudinally with standardized psychiatric interviews to identify new-onset mood and anxiety disorders over 90.3 ± 29.2 months, with the average assessment interval being 16.6 ± 6.2 months. Reports of GI distress in a subgroup during serotonergic challenge led the authors to examine GI distress to infusion as an exposure post hoc and to perform survival analysis using major depressive and/or anxiety disorders as the outcomes of interest. Results: GI distress to serotonergic challenge was experienced by 23 subjects, with 7 (30.4%) developing an emotional disorder during follow-up in comparison to 12 (10.4%) of 96 nondistressed subjects. The distressed group was at significantly greater risk of subsequent major depression and/or anxiety (p = .026), even after controlling for family history of psychiatric disorder. Conclusions: GI distress to serotonergic challenge in childhood is associated with heightened risk for subsequent major depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Studies of serotonergic neurotransmission may aid our understanding of nonrandom associations between functional GI symptoms and emotional symptoms and disorders.
AB - Objective: Serotonin is an important mediator of gut sensation and motility. The authors' aim was to determine whether inadvertent gastrointestinal (GI) distress to serotonergic challenge predicted future major depressive and/or anxiety disorders in exposed children. Method: L-5-hydroxytryptophan was administered to 119 prepubertal children free of psychiatric disorder as part of a psychobiological cohort study initially designed to examine familial loading for mood disorder as the exposure of interest. Subjects were followed longitudinally with standardized psychiatric interviews to identify new-onset mood and anxiety disorders over 90.3 ± 29.2 months, with the average assessment interval being 16.6 ± 6.2 months. Reports of GI distress in a subgroup during serotonergic challenge led the authors to examine GI distress to infusion as an exposure post hoc and to perform survival analysis using major depressive and/or anxiety disorders as the outcomes of interest. Results: GI distress to serotonergic challenge was experienced by 23 subjects, with 7 (30.4%) developing an emotional disorder during follow-up in comparison to 12 (10.4%) of 96 nondistressed subjects. The distressed group was at significantly greater risk of subsequent major depression and/or anxiety (p = .026), even after controlling for family history of psychiatric disorder. Conclusions: GI distress to serotonergic challenge in childhood is associated with heightened risk for subsequent major depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Studies of serotonergic neurotransmission may aid our understanding of nonrandom associations between functional GI symptoms and emotional symptoms and disorders.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Comorbidity
KW - Depression
KW - Nausea
KW - Pain
KW - Serotonin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0142258993&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0142258993&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00004583-200310000-00013
DO - 10.1097/00004583-200310000-00013
M3 - Article
C2 - 14560172
AN - SCOPUS:0142258993
VL - 42
SP - 1221
EP - 1226
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
SN - 0890-8567
IS - 10
ER -