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Hormonal correlates of clozapine-induced weight gain in psychotic children: an exploratory study

Alexandra L Sporn1, Aaron J Bobb, Nitin Gogtay

  • 1Child Psychiatry Branch, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA. sporna@intra.nimh.nih.gov

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|August 23, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Clozapine treatment in children with schizophrenia caused significant weight gain, linked to hormonal changes like increased leptin and decreased ghrelin. Further research is needed to understand this connection.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychiatry
  • Endocrinology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Atypical antipsychotics, particularly clozapine, are associated with significant weight gain in children.
  • Understanding the hormonal mechanisms behind this side effect is crucial for managing treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of clozapine treatment on weight gain-related hormones in children with schizophrenia.
  • To explore correlations between hormonal changes, weight gain, and clinical improvement.

Main Methods:

  • Measured fasting serum levels of six hormones (leptin, insulin, adiponectin, amylin, ghrelin, TNF-alpha) in children with schizophrenia (COS) and healthy controls (HC).
  • Assessed hormonal changes after 6 weeks of clozapine treatment in COS patients.
  • Correlated body mass index (BMI) changes with clozapine levels, hormonal shifts, and clinical ratings.

Main Results:

  • Clozapine treatment led to a significant increase in mean body mass index (7.9%) in COS patients.
  • Leptin levels significantly increased from baseline to week 6 of clozapine treatment (p = .003).
  • Increased BMI was correlated with decreased ghrelin and adiponectin levels and improved clinical symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • This study is the first to examine weight gain-related hormones in pediatric patients treated with clozapine.
  • Hormonal alterations are associated with clozapine-induced weight gain in children.
  • The precise relationship between clozapine's effectiveness and weight gain requires further investigation.
Abstract

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