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Magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the glutamatergic system in adolescent males with high-functioning autistic disorder: a pilot study at 4T

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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.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Pediatric Psychopharmacology Council Fund and the Norma Fine Pediatric Psychopharmacology Fellowship Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Psychopharmacology Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, YAW 6900, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Gagan Joshi, Joseph Biederman, Janet Wozniak, Rachel L. Goldin & Stephannie Furtak

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Gagan Joshi, Joseph Biederman, Janet Wozniak, Dave Crowley, Scott E. Lukas & Atilla Gönenç

  3. McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA

    Dave Crowley, Scott E. Lukas & Atilla Gönenç

  4. Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA

    Scott E. Lukas

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  1. Gagan Joshi
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Correspondence to Gagan Joshi.

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Joshi, G., Biederman, J., Wozniak, J. et al. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the glutamatergic system in adolescent males with high-functioning autistic disorder: a pilot study at 4T. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 263, 379–384 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-012-0369-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-012-0369-9

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