Platelet uptake and efflux of serotonin in subtypes of psychotic children

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• A metabolic defect, elevated serotonin efflux from platelets, has been identified in children with early infantile autism.
• This finding has been replicated in blind studies, suggesting its significance in autism research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify discrepancies in the replication of elevated serotonin efflux in psychotic children.
• To investigate the role of diagnostic criteria in the observed metabolic differences.

Main Methods:

• Review of previous studies on serotonin efflux in children with autism and psychotic disorders.
• Analysis of subject selection methods, particularly diagnostic tools like the Rimland E-2 checklist.
• Comparison of diagnostic criteria used in successful and failed replication studies.

Main Results:

• Elevated serotonin efflux is specifically linked to classical infantile autism as defined by the Rimland E-2 checklist.
• Previous failed replication attempts were due to the inclusion of children who did not meet the strict criteria for early infantile autism.
• The syndrome of "perceptual inconstancy" observed in some psychotic children is inconsistent with the "insistence on the preservation of sameness" characteristic of early infantile autism.

Conclusions:

• The metabolic error of elevated serotonin efflux is a valid finding for early infantile autism when diagnosed using specific criteria.
• Methodological differences, particularly in subject selection and diagnostic precision, are crucial for understanding and replicating findings in autism research.
• Further research should focus on precise phenotyping to elucidate the biological underpinnings of autism spectrum disorders.