Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Smith, M O
• Shaywitz, S E
• Shaywitz, B A
• Gertner, J M
• Raskin, L A
• Gelwan, E M

Titel

Exogenous growth hormone levels predict attentional performance: a preliminary report

Ist Teil von

• Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, 1985-10, Vol.6 (5), p.273-278

Ort / Verlag

United States

Erscheinungsjahr

1985

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The imminent commercial availability of synthetic growth hormone (GH) and the potential for large scale and possibly indiscriminant use mandate a critical examination of possible adverse effects. This double-blind study examined the effects of human GH on attention. Treatment of eight GH-deficient children, aged 8.7 to 14.1 years, was suspended to establish base lines. Injections with GH (0.1 units/kg) and placebo followed in counterbalanced 2-week periods. At the end of each period, GH levels were assayed, and attention was tested. Scores earned under the GH condition did not differ from base line and placebo values. However, patients displaying high levels (14 +/- 2.12 ng/ml) of exogenous GH 12 hours after injection generally surpassed norms and patients with low levels (3.5 +/- 1.12 ng/ml) of GH under all conditions of the experiment. If 12-hour levels in this study are indicative of the fate of GH received during therapy, prolonged use of GH may bring benefits to attention that vary directly with half-life.