Platelet serotonin transporter in drug-naive migrainous children and adolescents

Biol Psychiatry. 1994 Apr 1;35(7):452-6. doi: 10.1016/0006-3223(94)90043-4.

Abstract

Platelet [3H]imipramine binding was measured in 17 children and adolescents suffering from common (n = 10) and classical (n = 7) migraine and 10 healthy control subjects. All patients had more than a 1-year history of the disease and suffered at least one attack per month. All subjects had been drug-free for at least 4 weeks prior to the study and had never been treated with drugs active at the serotonergic system. An increased density in [3H]imipramine binding sites was detected in the migraine patients (+51%; p < 0.05). The increase in maximal binding was more prominent in the classical migraine group (+63%) than in the common migraine group (+43%). These results disagree with previous studies that reported decreased platelet imipramine binding in adult migraine patients. The discrepancy may be related to chronicity of drug treatment, long-term duration of disease and comorbidity of depression and anxiety disorders in adult migrainous patients.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Factors
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
  • Blood Platelets / chemistry*
  • Child
  • Comorbidity
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Migraine Disorders / blood*
  • Migraine Disorders / epidemiology
  • Migraine Disorders / metabolism
  • Receptors, Serotonin / analysis*
  • Receptors, Serotonin / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptors, Serotonin