Authors
Minshew NJ, Goldstein G, Dombrowski SM, Panchalingam K, Pettegrew JW.
Institution
Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic,
Pittsburgh, PA.
Title
A preliminary 31P MRS study of autism: evidence for undersynthesis and
increased degradation of brain membranes.
Source
Biol Psychiatry 1993 Jun 1-15;33(11-12):762-73
Abstract
In this pilot study, brain high energy phosphate and membrane phospholipid
metabolism were investigated in the dorsal prefrontal cortex of 11 high-functioning
autistic adolescent and young adult men (the age range is 12-36 years) and
11 age-, gender-, IQ, race- and socioeconomic status-matched normal controls
using in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The autistic
group had decreased levels of phosphocreatine and esterified ends (alpha
ATP + alpha ADP + dinucleotides + diphosphosugars) compared to the controls.
When the metabolite levels were compared within each subject group with
neuropsychologic and language test scores, a common pattern of correlations
was observed across measures in the autistic group, but not in the control
group. As test performance declined in the autistic subjects, levels of
the most labile high energy phosphate compound and of membrane building
blocks decreased, and levels of membrane breakdown products increased. No
significant correlations were present with age in either group or with IQ
in the control group, suggesting that these findings were not the consequence
of age or IQ effects. This pilot study provides tentative evidence of alterations
in brain energy and phospholipid metabolism in autism that correlate with
the neuropsychologic and language deficits. The findings are consistent
with a hypermetabolic energy state and undersynthesis of brain membranes
and may relate to the neurophysiologic and neuropathologic abnormalities
in autism.