title: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the glutamatergic system in adolescent males with high-functioning autistic disorder: a pilot study at 4T.
abstract: The pilot study aimed at examining the neural glutamatergic activity in autism. Seven adolescent males (mean age: 14 ± 1.8; age range: 12-17 years) with intact intellectual capacity (mean IQ: 108 ± 14.26; IQ range: 85-127) suffering from autistic disorder and an equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a two-dimensional magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan at 4T. Results indicated significantly high glutamate (Glu) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex of autistic disorder versus control subjects (paired t test p = 0.01) and a trend for lower Glu in the right medial temporal lobe, which was not statistically different between the groups (paired t test p = 0.06). These preliminary findings support the glutamatergic dysregulation hypothesis in autism and need to be replicated in a larger sample.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Psychopharmacology Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, YAW 6900, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. Joshi.Gagan@MGH.Harvard.edu
authors.forename: Gagan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biederman
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wozniak
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Goldin
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.forename: Stephannie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furtak
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gönenç
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid