Anxiety and its significance in the structure of somatoform disorders in children and the role of serotonine and triptophan in their nascence

Abstract

The work was aimed to study the confidence and significance of anxiety in the occurrence of somatoform disorders (SD) in children, to establish the role of serotonin and tryptophan in its development. 111 children were diagnosed with SD. In 109 (98,2%) children were diagnosed with excessive anxiety. Serotonin levels in children with personality and reactive anxiety were 1,16 ± 0,33 μmol/l and 1,17 ± 0,33 μmol/l, respectively and were lower compared to the control group, where its level reached 1,35 ± 0,34 μmol/l (p<0,004 and p<0,008, respectively). The level of serotonin in patients with anxiety in combination with depression was lower compared with patients with anxiety without depression (p<0,0001). It is possible to suspect the existence of several subtypes of SD, where one can occur as a variant of depression with somatic manifestations and secondary anxiety in which serotonin metabolism may play a key role, whereas the second variant of SD can arise as a variant of anxiety disorder with somatic manifestations and somatic manifestations and secondary disorders as a personality response to a disease in which serotonin metabolism does not play a key role in the development of pathology