title: Serotonin in autism and pediatric epilepsies.
abstract: Serotonergic abnormalities have been reported in both autism and epilepsy. This association may provide insights into underlying mechanisms of these disorders because serotonin plays an important neurotrophic role during brain development--and there is evidence for abnormal cortical development in both autism and some forms of epilepsy. This review explores the hypothesis that an early disturbance in the serotonin system affects cortical development and the development of thalamocortical innervation, and is a potential mechanism, common to autism and pediatric epilepsies associated with cortical dysplasia. An argument is made that cortical malformation leads to abnormalities of thalamocortical connectivity, and that serotonin plays a critical role in this process. Finally, a role for altered metabolism of the serotonin precursur, tryptophan, in both epilepsy and autism is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Radiology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. dchugani@pet.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Diane C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chugani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D007737:Kynurenine; D014364:Tryptophan