title: [Relation between auditory evoked potentials (presence, amplitude) during sound and light conditioning and levels of dopamine derivatives in infantile autism].
abstract: The aim of this study was to study the relationships between conditioned AEPs and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels in autistic children (A, 9 boys, average age 6.3) compared to normal children (9 boys, average age 6.5) and to mentally retarded children (MR, 9 boys, average age 6.1) without any autistic behavior. AEPs were recorded at Cz and Oz during two sessions. The auditory stimulus (S) was first presented alone (habituation); the visual stimulus (L) was then presented 800 msec after S (conditioning). S was again presented alone (extinction). Urinary HVA dosage was performed on samples of urine taken after a 48-h tyrosine-free diet. Conditioning induced enhancement of AEPs. Latencies and amplitudes were smaller in autistic children. AEP presence was smaller in patients than in normal children and smaller in MR than in A children. Urinary HVA level was higher in patients and higher in the MR group than in the A group. A negative correlation between HVA level and Cz AEP presence was observed. Results showing higher Cz AEP variability and higher HVA level in MR than in autistic children tend to lead us to consider that both syndromes are related to common neurological dysfunctionings rather than indicating autistic syndrome behavioral specificity.
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000652:urine*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013016:Sound; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D010648:Phenylacetates; D006719:Homovanillic Acid
vernacular_title: Relations entre les potentiels évoqués auditifs (présence, amplitude) au cours du conditionnement son-lumière et les taux de derivés de la dopamine dans l'autisme de l'enfant.