Infantile spasm: the effect of corticotropin (ACTH) on the free amino acid profile in cerebrospinal fluid

• Published in: Brain & development (Tokyo. 1979) Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 20 - 23
• Main Authors: TEKGÜL, H, TÜTÜNCÜOGLU, S, COKER, M, COKER, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adrenocorticotropic hormone; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - therapeutic use; Amino Acids - cerebrospinal fluid; Aspartate; Aspartic Acid - cerebrospinal fluid; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebrospinal fluid; Excitatory amino acid; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Infant; Infantile spasm; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Spasms, Infantile - cerebrospinal fluid; Spasms, Infantile - drug therapy; Aspartate; Infantile spasm; Excitatory amino acid; Adrenocorticotropic hormone; Cerebrospinal fluid; Human; West syndrome; Nervous system diseases; Pathogenesis; Epilepsy; Central nervous system disease; Excitatory aminoacid; Child
• ISSN: 0387-7604; 1872-7131
• DOI: 10.1016/S0387-7604(98)00061-8

Increased excitatory amino acid neurotransmission has been implicated in the pathogenesis of infantile spasm. In this study we studied the profile of free amino acids in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 16 patients with infantile spasm before corticotropin (ACTH) treatment. After 10 weeks ACTH therapy the profile of amino acids in CSF was studied once more in eight of the patients. Eleven patients were in the symptomatic group, and five in the cryptogenic group. Increased aspartate levels were measured in CSF following ACTH therapy (
P<0.05). It was concluded that aspartate might have an important role in hypothalamic–hypophyseal axis in patients with infantile spasm.