Imaging Shows Loss of Brain Chemical in Autism
Using a little-known brain-imaging technique, a new study shows that children with autism have low levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that keeps brain signals in check.
The report, published 24 May in NeuroImage, is the third imaging study in two years to find that children with the disorder have less GABA than controls do.
Other studies, using mutant mice, genetic screens or postmortem brain tissue, have also linked autism and GABA. The imaging studies are the only ones to confirm low GABA levels in the brains of living people with autism.
In the new study, William Gaetz's group showed that children with autism have less GABA in brain regions related to sound processing and motor control. This may partly explain why many people with autism are hypersensitive to loud noises or have motor impairments.
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