Brief report: biochemical correlates of clinical impairment in high functioning autism and Asperger's disorder.
Amygdala dysfunction has been proposed as a critical contributor to social impairment in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The current study investigated biochemical abnormalities in the amygdala in 20 high functioning adults with autistic disorder or Asperger's disorder and 19 typically developing adults matched on age and IQ. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine/phosphocreatine (Cre), choline/choline containing compounds (Cho), and Myoinositol (mI) in the right and left amygdala. There were no significant between-group differences in any of the metabolites. However, NAA and Cre levels were significantly correlated to clinical ratings on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised. This suggests that altered metabolite levels in the amygdala may be associated with a more severe early developmental course in ASD.
Duke Scholars
Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Young Adult
- Time Factors
- Severity of Illness Index
- Prognosis
- Phosphocreatine
- Male
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Inositol
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
- Humans
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Young Adult
- Time Factors
- Severity of Illness Index
- Prognosis
- Phosphocreatine
- Male
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Inositol
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
- Humans