The Effect of Hydrotherapy on Serum Serotonin in Autistic Children

Hydrotherapy has positive effects on the behavior of people with autism. Studies show people with autism have serotonin deficiency. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hydrotherapy on the serum serotonin level in children with autism spectrum disorders. In this semi-experimental and applied study, a pretest-posttest, control-group design was applied. Considering the control variables, 32 autistic children were randomly assigned to the control (n=16) and experimental (n=16) groups as the sample. The Halliwick hydrotherapy intervention continued for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week for 60 minutes. Blood samples were collected to measure the serum serotonin level before and after 8 weeks of intervention. The results of covariance test indicated no significant difference in the serotonin level between the experimental and control groups in the pretest and posttest (P≥0.05). Also, serotonin reduced in the experimental group more than the control group. According to these results, it can be concluded that hydrotherapy reduces the serum serotonin level of children with autism. In other words, a reduction in serotonin level is associated with an increase in serotonin absorption of the body.