I. Nir et al., BRIEF REPORT - CIRCADIAN MELATONIN, THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE, PROLACTIN, AND CORTISOL-LEVELS IN SERUM OF YOUNG-ADULTS WITH AUTISM, Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 25(6), 1995, pp. 641-654
An abnormal circadian pattern of melatonin was found in a group of you
ng adults with an extreme autism syndrome. Although not out of phase,
the serum melatonin levels differed from normal in amplitude and mesor
. Marginal changes in diurnal rhythms of serum TSH and possibly prolac
tin were also recorded. Subjects with seizures tended to have an abnor
mal pattern of melatonin correlated with EEG changes. In others, a par
allel was evidenced between thyroid function and impairment in verbal
communication. There appears to be a tendency for various types of neu
roendocrinological abnormalities in autistics, and melatonin, as well
as possibly TSH and perhaps prolactin, could serve as biochemical vari
ables of the biological parameters of the disease.