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Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and MRI Reveal No Evidence for Brain Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Brain mitochondrial dysfunction has been proposed as an etiologic factor in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1HMRS) and MRI were used to assess for evidence of brain mitochondrial dysfunction in longitudinal samples of children with ASD or developmental delay (DD), and cross-sectionally in typically developing (TD) children at 3–4, 6–7 and 9–10 years-of-age. A total of 239 studies from 130 unique participants (54ASD, 22DD, 54TD) were acquired. 1HMRS and MRI revealed no evidence for brain mitochondrial dysfunction in the children with ASD. Findings do not support a substantive role for brain mitochondrial abnormalities in the etiology or symptom expression of ASD, nor the widespread use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment that has been advocated on the basis of this proposed relationship.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by NIH grants 2P01 HD 35465, 1P50 HD 55782 and 1R01 HD 065283. The authors thank Denise Echelard and Marie-Anne Domsalla for their technical and administrative support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Neva M. Corrigan, Dennis. W. W. Shaw, Todd L. Richards, Helen Petropoulos & Stephen R. Dager

  2. Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA

    Dennis. W. W. Shaw & Seth D. Friedman

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Alan A. Artru

  4. University of Washington Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Annette M. Estes & Stephen R. Dager

  5. Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Annette M. Estes

  6. Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Stephen R. Dager

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  1. Neva M. Corrigan
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  2. Dennis. W. W. Shaw
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  3. Todd L. Richards
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  5. Seth D. Friedman
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Correspondence to Stephen R. Dager.

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Corrigan, N.M., Shaw, D.W.W., Richards, T.L. et al. Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and MRI Reveal No Evidence for Brain Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 105–115 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1216-y

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