Anxiety-depressive disorders in children: Neurobiological and neurohormonal aspects

Abstract

Objective

The need for diagnosis and correct classification of depression among children is dictated by its burdeness with age, high risk of recurrence at further stages of child development and propensity to suicidal behavior.

Materials and methods

One hundred and sixty adolescents with ADD were included in our study. The study design comprised: clinicopsychopathological, somatoneurological, psychological and neurohormonal methods.

Results

Clustering symptom of anxiety and depression have shown that for children in early puberty is typical more formation of somatic (35.2%), behavioral (21.6%), phobic (21.6%) variants of depression, less-anxiety (13.5%), asthenia (8.1%). For children in puberty – apathetic (30.1%), anxiety (28.9%), dismorfofobic (27.7%), behavioral (13.3%) variants. The proportion of suicidal behavior of depression increases in proportion to age, mainly due to suicidal thoughts, sayings, auto-aggressive behavior. Analysis of the formation conditions of anxiety and depression in children showed a significant correlation of genetic, biological and socio-environmental components.

Symptoms of the minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) at an early ontogeny (prognostic value = +4.8), loaded natal period (PV = +4.2), frequent colds in the medical history (PV = 3.7), signs of cerebro-organic failure (PV = +3.8) and obesity as an endocrine disorder (PV = +2.1), sex and age of the manifestation of the first depressive episode in the early stages ontogenesis in boys aged 7 years (PS = +5.3), in girls aged 9 years (PS = +3.9) have been registered among biological risk factors for the ADD formation. Prognostic significance of neurohormonal parameters as regards the risk for ADD formation in adolescents is based on a decreased serotonin level in patients with depressive anxiety (PV = +2.8) and a reduced melatonin level, irrespective of the variant of clinical depression (PV = +2.4).

Conclusion

Determination of neurobiological and neurohormonal risk markers for the development of the ADD makes it possible to carry out psychoprophylactic measures.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.