• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.47-55
• /
• 1995

To elucidate the biochemical etiology. 1) plasma dopemine-beta-hydroxylase activity was measured and 2) the correlation between age and DBH activity was examined in 30 Tourette's disorder, 19 chronic motor tic disorder, and 24 controls. The results are summarized as follows : 1) The mean plasma DBH activity in Tourette's disorder was significantly elevated compared to normal groups, but significant differences in DBH activity between Tourette's disorder and chronic motor tic disorder, and between chronic motor tic disorder and normal control group were not found. 2) In all three groups, the significant positive correlations between age and plasma DBH activity found. These findings support the hypothesis of a possible involvement of brain catecholamine dysfunction in the production of Tourette's disorders, and this dysfunction might be due to the increased dopaminergic and decreased noradrenergic function. Future research should be focused on the mechanism of functional abnormalities of DBH.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.76-86
• /
• 1991

Plasma $dopamine-{\beta}-hydroxylase(DBH)$ activity was measured in 37 autistic disorders, 26 atypical pervasive developmental disorders and 23 controls, to elucidate the biological etiology in pervasive developmental disorders. The results are summarized as follows : 1) In the autistic group, the mean plasma DBH activity was significantly elevated compared to the atypical and control groups. The mean plasma DBH activity was also significantly elevated in pervasive developmental disorders(autistic disorder+atypical developmental disorder) compared to control group. 2) In the atypical and control groups, the DBH activity significantly increased with age, but in the autistic group, the DBH activity was not significantly correlated with age. 3) No significant correlation was found between the DBH activity and the severity of psychopathology. These findings support the hypothesis of a possible involvement of brain catecholamine dysfunction in the production of autistic symptoms, and this dysfunction might be due to the abnormal ontogenetic process of DBH activity in autistic disorders.