SYMPOSIA
SYMPOSIA
SYMPOSIA
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Abstracts of the Invited Speakers<br />
Association.<br />
5. McGuinness M. OCD in the Perinatal Period: Is Postpartum OCD (ppOCD) a Distinct Subtype? A Review of the Literature. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy<br />
2011, 39, 285–310<br />
Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2011;21(Suppl. 2):S71-2<br />
[PS-12]<br />
Symposium Title: Vitamin and mineral supplementation in treatment of childhood psychiatric disorders<br />
Vitamin and mineral supplementation in treatment of childhood psychiatric disorders – Calcium and<br />
vitamin D supplementation<br />
Ömer Faruk Akça<br />
Samsun Psychiatry Hospital, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Samsun, Turkey<br />
E-mail: dromerakca@gmail.com<br />
Vitamin D has significant roles in cell proliferation, the immune system and the nervous system as well as in bone development. Adult<br />
studies indicate that vitamin D deficiency may be related to some neurological and psychiatric disorders like Parkinson’s disease,<br />
Alzheimer’s disease and depression (1). Childhood studies on this subject are mainly related to the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the<br />
development of autism. Because vitamin D has an essential role in the development of the nervous system, some investigators suggest<br />
that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may contribute to the development of autism. Autism is stated to be more frequent in people<br />
with dark skin and people who live in countries at higher latitudes. Additionally, children of mothers who consume more vitamin D in<br />
pregnancy have better mental development and present with fewer autistic signs. This knowledge indicates that vitamin D may be a<br />
mediator in the emergence of autism for genetically vulnerable people (2). Autism frequency has increased in recent years and this increase<br />
has occurred at the same time as the suggestions on the avoidance of sunlight have arisen. This coincidence is claimed to be supportive<br />
of the autism-vitamin D hypothesis (2,3). This hypothesis suggests two possible mechanisms: 1) vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy<br />
may cause inappropriate development of the fetal brain and then autistic signs may emerge, 2) in light of the hypotheses that autism<br />
is an autoimmune disorder and vitamin D is important for immune system functions, it may be assumed that vitamin D deficiency may<br />
cause autistic signs in vulnerable individuals (4). Some studies have stated that autism is more frequent in children of winter pregnancies<br />
and people of higher latitude countries (4). Additionally, it is stated that autistic patients have the lowest vitamin D levels among all kinds<br />
of psychiatric disorders in a psychiatry inpatient clinic (5). In another recent study, autistic children have lower 25-hydroxy vitamin D,<br />
1,25-hydroxy vitamin D and calcium levels in comparison with healthy children (6). These findings are supportive of this hypothesis.<br />
According to this hypothesis, it can be estimated that children with rickets would have more autistic symptoms. There is no recent study<br />
on this assumption. However, in past studies it has been stated that these children had more mental disorders, which disappeared after<br />
treatment (7).<br />
On the other hand, because children with autism may have food selectivity, vitamin D and calcium deficiency may occur in these children<br />
more frequently. Some investigations were made on this subject and many of them found supportive findings (8,9).<br />
We may conclude that autism-vitamin D relationship needs to be investigated more with larger sample studies.<br />
Key words: Autism, vitamin D, calcium<br />
References:<br />
1. Kesby JP, Eyles DW, Burne TH, McGrath JJ. The effects of vitamin D on brain development and adult brain function. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2011; Article in press.<br />
2. Cannell JJ. Autism and Vitamin D. Med Hypotheses 2008; 70: 750-759<br />
3. Cannell JJ, Hollis BW. Use of Vitamin D in Clinical Practice. Altern Med Rev 2008; 13:6-20.<br />
4. Grant WB, Connie MS. Epidemiologic evidence supporting the role of maternal vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for the development of infantile autism.<br />
Dermatoendocrinol 2009; 1:223-228.<br />
5. Humble MB, Gustafsson S, Bejerot S. Low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) among psychiatric out-patients in Sweden: relations with season, age,<br />
ethnic origin and psychiatric diagnosis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2010;121:467-470.<br />
6. Meguid NA, Hashish AF, Anwar M, Sidhom G. Reduced Serum Levels of 25-Hydroxy and 1,25-Dihydroxy Vitamin D in Egyptian Children with Autis J Altern<br />
Complement Med 2010; 16:641-645.<br />
7. Cannell JJ. On the aetiology of autism. Acta Paediatr 2010; 99:1128–1130.<br />
8. Zimmer MH, Hart LC, Manning-Courtney P, Murray DS, Bing NM, Summer S. Food Variety as a Predictor of Nutritional Status Among Children with Autism. J Autism<br />
S72 Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Vol: 21, Supplement: 2, 2011 - www.psikofarmakoloji.org