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Gastrointestinal Factors in Autistic Disorder: A Critical Review

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 35, Article number: 713 (2005) Cite this article

Abstract

Interest in the gastrointestinal (GI) factors of autistic disorder (autism) has developed from descriptions of symptoms such as constipation and diarrhea in autistic children and advanced towards more detailed studies of GI histopathology and treatment modalities. This review attempts to critically and comprehensively analyze the literature as it applies to all aspects of GI factors in autism, including discussion of symptoms, pathology, nutrition, and treatment. While much literature is available on this topic, a dearth of rigorous study was found to validate GI factors specific to children with autism.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by a Daniel X. Freedman Psychiatric Research Fellowship Award (Dr. Posey), a National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Young Investigator Award (Dr. Posey), a Research Unit on Pediatric Psychopharmacology Grant (U10-MH66766-02) from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to Indiana University (Drs. McDougle, Stigler, and Posey), a Research Career Development Award (K23-MH068627-01) from NIMH (Dr. Posey), a National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center Grant to Indiana University (M01-RR00750), and a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Grant No. B-01-SP-IN-0200 (Dr. McDougle).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Craig A. Erickson, Kimberly A. Stigler, David J. Posey & Christopher J. McDougle

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Craig A. Erickson, Mark R. Corkins, Joseph F. Fitzgerald & Christopher J. McDougle

  3. James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, IN , USA

    Craig A. Erickson, Kimberly A. Stigler, Mark R. Corkins, David J. Posey, Joseph F. Fitzgerald & Christopher J. McDougle

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Psychiatry Building – A305, 1111 West 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-4800, USA

    Christopher J. McDougle

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  1. Craig A. Erickson
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  2. Kimberly A. Stigler
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Correspondence to Christopher J. McDougle.

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Erickson, C.A., Stigler, K.A., Corkins, M.R. et al. Gastrointestinal Factors in Autistic Disorder: A Critical Review. J Autism Dev Disord 35, 713 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0019-4

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Keywords

  • Autistic disorder; gastroenterology; pathophysiology