Growth hormone, prolactin and cortisol responses and growth patterns in hyperkinetic children treated with dextro-amphetamine. Preliminary findings

A prospective study of growth was undertaken in two groups of hyperkinetic children: a d-amphetamine-treated (index) group and a phenothiazine-treated (control) group. This study was coupled with longitudinal overnight sleep-endocrine assessments in the index group. At the end of the first year seven index subjects have been studied for growth and sleep-endocrine measures and eight control subjects have been studied for growth changes only. The significant findings are: (1) growth retardation in the index group; (2) inhibition of mean sleep-related prolactin secretion; (3) a highly significant correlation between loss of expected height percentile during the first year and decrease of mean sleep related prolactin at 6 months, as compared to baseline. These findings suggest that growth inhibition secondary to chronic d-amphetamine administration in hyperkinetic children might be mediated by inhibition of prolactin secretion.