Brief report: biochemical correlates of clinical impairment in high functioning autism and Asperger's disorder.
Published
Journal Article
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.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Kleinhans, NM; Richards, T; Weaver, KE; Liang, O; Dawson, G; Aylward, E
Published Date
- July 2009
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 39 / 7
Start / End Page
- 1079 - 1086
PubMed ID
- 19234776
Pubmed Central ID
- 19234776
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1573-3432
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1007/s10803-009-0707-6
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States