Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the GABAA receptor in the autistic brain, we performed 123I-IMZ SPECT in patients with ASD. We compared 123I-IMZ SPECT abnormalities in patients who showed intellectual disturbance or focal
epileptic discharge on EEG to those in patients without such findings.
Subjects and methods
The subjects consisted of 24 patients with ASD (mean age, 7.3 ± 3.5 years), including 9 with autistic disorder (mean age, 7.0 ± 3.7 years) and 15 with Asperger’s disorder (mean age, 7.5 ± 3.2 years). We used 10 non-symptomatic partial epilepsy patients (mean age, 7.8 ± 3.6 years) without intellectual delay as a control group.
For an objective evaluation of the 123I-IMZ SPECT results, we performed an SEE (Stereotactic Extraction Estimation) analysis
to describe the decrease in accumulation in each brain lobule numerically.
Results
In the comparison of the ASD group and the control group, there was a dramatic decrease
in the accumulation of 123I-IMZ in the superior and medial frontal cortex. In the group with intellectual impairment
and focal epileptic discharge on EEG, the decrease in accumulation in the superior
and medial frontal cortex was greater than that in the group without these findings.
Conclusion
The present results suggest that disturbance of the GABAergic nervous system may contribute
to the pathophysiology and aggravation of ASD, since the accumulation of 123I-IMZ was decreased in the superior and medial frontal cortex, which is considered
to be associated with inference of the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of others
(Theory of Mind).
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 18, 2011
Accepted:
October 22,
2011
Received in revised form:
October 14,
2011
Received:
April 22,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
