Cerebrospinal fluid levels of oxytocin in Prader-Willi syndrome: A preliminary report

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder characterized by mental retardation, appetite dysregulation, and a high risk for obsessi ve-compulsive disorder (OCD). Microscopic abnormalities of the hypothalamus have been described in PWS, and oxytocin has been implicated in both appet ite regulation and OCD. Methods: Oxytocin and arginine vasopressin (AVP) were measured in the cereb rospinal fluid of 5 subjects with PWS (2 male, 3 female) and in 6 normal co ntrol subjects (all female). Results: CSF oxytocin was elevated in PWS (9.2 +/- 3.9 pmol/L) as compared to normal control subjects (5.1 +/- 0.9 pmol/L, p = 0.045), a finding that was more significant when excluding male subjects from analysis (p = 0.02). AVP was not significantly different between the groups as a whole. Conclusions: These data provide further evidence for hypothalamic and oxyto cinergic dysfunction in PWS. The associations between oxytocin, appetite re gulation, and obsessive compulsive symptomatology in PWS warrant further in vestigation. Biol Psychiatry 1998;44:1349-1352 (C) 1998 Society of Biologic al Psychiatry.