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Free fatty acid response to insulin and glucose stimulation in schizophrenic, autistic, and emotionally disturbed children

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Abstract

Three related studies of plasma free fatty acid metabolism involving 15 autistic and schizophrenic, 14 emotionally disturbed, and 49 normal children are reported and discussed. In the first, baseline FFA levels from 1 to 4 days showed significantly greater FFA variability in psychotic than in other children. In the second, contrary to paradoxical response in some adult schizophrenics, FFA lowered significantly and normally after intravenous insulin injection in 4 autistic children. In the third, involving glucose ingestion by 11 psychotic, 14 emotionally disturbed, and 13 normal children on high carbohydrate diets, subsequent FFA and glucose determinations at 45 minutes and 2 hours revealed no differences. Mean FFA levels were higher in the psychotic group. It is suggested that a possible reason for FFA variability in psychotic children may be a deficiency in the regulatory feedback mechanism at a neurogenic or cellular level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University School of Medicine, USA

    Marian K. DeMyer (Director), Helen Schwier, Carolyn Q. Bryson, Elizabeth B. Solow & Nancy Roeske

Authors
  1. Marian K. DeMyer
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  2. Helen Schwier
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  3. Carolyn Q. Bryson
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  4. Elizabeth B. Solow
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  5. Nancy Roeske
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Additional information

This study was supported in part by Public Health Service Grant No. MH05154 and in part by LaRue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, State of Indiana, Indianapolis, Indiana.

The authors wish to thank the ward staff and dieticians for the food measurements used in this study, and Drs. William Deiss, James Ashmore, and John I. Nurnberger for their suggestions and support.

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DeMyer, M.K., Schwier, H., Bryson, C.Q. et al. Free fatty acid response to insulin and glucose stimulation in schizophrenic, autistic, and emotionally disturbed children. J Autism Dev Disord 1, 436–452 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540534

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