Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Serotonin and measured intelligence

  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Blood serotonin (5HT) has been shown to be elevated in 30% of autistic children and 50% of severely mentally retarded children. Ninety-eight normal adult subjects were studied to determined if there was an inverse relationship between whole blood 5HT in normal adults of average and above-average intelligence. There was a trend toward a negative correlation between whole blood 5HT and Vocabulary scores that would not account for hyperserotonemia in autistic or mentally retarded individuals. Female subjects had significantly greater whole blood 5HT than male subjects. There was no difference in whole blood 5HT collected before and after volume depletion of 450 ml, providing further evidence of the intraindividual stability of whole blood serotonin levels. There was no relationship between age and whole blood 5HT in a group of normal adult subjects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, G. M., Young, J. G., Cohen, D. J., Schlicht, K. R., & Patel, N. (1981). Liquidchromatographic determination of serotonin and tryptophan in whole blood and plasma.Clinical Chemistry 27, 775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, M. D., McCall, R. B., & Stave, U. (1973). A study of plasma free amino acid levels. VIII. The relationship between plasma amino acid levels and IQ test peformance.Metabolism, 22, 1437–1441.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belendiuk, K., Belendiuk, G. W., & Freedman, D. X. (1980). Blood monoamine metabolism in Huntington's disease.Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 325–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belendiuk, K., Belendiuk, G. W., & Freedman, D. X. (1981). Neurotransmitter abnormalities in patients with motor neuron disease.Archives of Neurology, 38, 415–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, M., Freidman, E., De Vito, E., Greenspan, L., & Collins, P. J. (1974). Blood serotonin in psychotic and brain damaged children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 4, 33–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freedman, D. X., Belendiuk, K., Belendiuk, G. W., & Crayton, J. W. (1981). Blood tryptophan metabolism in chronic schizophrenics.Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 655–659.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales, G. F. (1980). Blood levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine in human beings under several physiological situations.Life Sciences, 27, 647–650.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guicheney, P., & Marcel, D. (1984). Decrease of platelet serotonin content in ovariectomized female rats.Endocrinology, 114, 2412–2414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanley, H. G., Stahl, S. M. & Freedman, D. X. (1977). Hyperserotonemia and amine metabolites in autistic and retarded children.Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 521–531.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshino, Y., Ymamoto, T., Kaneko, M., Tachibana, R., Watanabe, M., Ono, Y., & Kumashiro, H. (1984). Blood serotonin and free tryptophan concentration in autistic children.Neuropsychobiology, 11, 22–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Irwin, M., Belendiuk, K., McCloskey, K., & Freedman, D. X. (1981). Tryptophan metabolism in children with attentional deficit disorder.American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 1082–1085.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuperman, S., Beeghly, J., Burns, T., & Tsai, L. (1987). Association of serotonin concentration to behavior and IQ in autistic children.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17, 133–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCoy, E. E., & Enns, L. (1978). Sodium transport, ouabain binding, and (Na+/K+)-ATPase activity in Down's syndrome platelets.Pediatric Research, 12, 685–689.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCoy, E. E., Segal, D. J., Bayer, S. M. & Strynadka, K. D. (1974). Decreased ATPase and increased sodium content of platelets in Down's syndrome-relation to decreased serotonin content.New England Journal of Medicine, 291, 950–953.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oikawa, K., Deonauth, J., & Breidbart, S. (1978). Mental retardation and elevated serotonin levels in adults.Life Sciences, 23, 45–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pare, C. M. B., Sandler, M., & Stacey, R. S. (1960). 5-Hydroxyndoles in mental deficiency.Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 23, 341–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Partington, M. W., Tu, J. B., & Wong, C. Y. (1973). Blood serotonin levels in severe mental retardation.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 15, 616–627.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pernow, B., & Waldenstrom, J. (1954). Paroxysmal flushing and other symptoms caused by 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine in patients with malignant tumors.Lancet, 2, 951.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pimparkar, B. D., Senesky, D., & Kalser M. H. (1961). Blood serotonin in nontropical sprue.Gastroenterology, 40, 504–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritvo, E. R., Yuwiler, A., Geller, E., Ornitz, E. M., Saeger, K., & Plotkin, S. (1970). Increased blood serotonin and platelets in early infantile autism.Archives of General Psychiatry, 23, 566–572.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritvo, E. R., Yuwiler, A., Geller, E., Plotkin, S., Mason, A., & Saeger, K., (1971). Maturational changes in blood, serotonin levels and platelet counts.Biochemical Medicine, 5, 90–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schain, R. J., & Freedman, D. X. (1961). Studies on 5-hydroxyindole metabolism in autistic and other mentally retarded children.Journal of Pediatrics 58, 315–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stahl, S. M., Woo, D. J., Mefford, I. N., Berger, P. A., & Ciaranello, R. D. (1983). Hyperserotonemia and platelet serotonin uptake and release in schizophrenia and affective disorders.American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 26–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, D. L., Mathew, R. J., Ho, B. T. & Weinman (1984). Serotonin levels and platelet uptake during premenstrual tension.Neuropsychobiology, 12, 16–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ternaux, J. P., Mattei, J. F., Faudon, M., Barrit, M. C., Ardissone, J. P., & Giraud, F. (1979). Peripheral and central 5-hydroxytryptamine in trisomy 21.Life Sciences, 25, 2017–2022.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tu, J., & Partington, M. W. (1972). 5-Hydroxyindole levels in the blood and CSF in Down's syndrome, phenylketonuria and severe mental retardation.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 14, 457–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1981).Manual for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence, Scale-Revised, New York: Psychological Corp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, S. N., & Ervin, F. R. (1984). Cerebrospinal fluid measurements suggest precursor availability and sex are involved in the control of biogenic amine metabolism in a primate.Journal of Neurochemistry, 42, 1570–1573.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuwiler, A., Plotkin, S., Geller, E., & Ritvo, E. R. (1970). A rapid accurate procedure for the determination of serotonin in whole human blood.Biochemical Medicine, 3, 426–436.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland, Box 411, 60637, Chicago, Illinois

    Edwin H. Cook Jr., Bennett L. Leventhal & Daniel X. Freedman

  2. Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles

    Daniel X. Freedman

Authors
  1. Edwin H. Cook Jr.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bennett L. Leventhal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel X. Freedman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This study was completed with the assistance of the Blood Bank staff at the University of Chicago Medical Center. In addition, the study was supported by the Freedman-Falk Academic Psychiatry Fund, the Harris Center for Developmental Studies, and NICCHD postdoctoral training grant #HDMC 5T32 HD07307-02 HCB.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cook, E.H., Leventhal, B.L. & Freedman, D.X. Serotonin and measured intelligence. J Autism Dev Disord 18, 553–559 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02211873

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02211873

Keywords

Search

Navigation