Excitation-inhibition dysbalance as predictor of autistic phenotypes

Journal of Psychiatric Research
Bárbara OliveiraHannelore Ehrenreich

Abstract

Autistic traits are normally distributed across health and disease, with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at the extreme end. As we learned from mutations of synaptic or synapse regulating genes, leading to monogenetic forms of autism, the heterogeneous etiologies of ASD converge at the synapse. They result in a mild synaptic dysfunction as the final common pathway, also addressed as synaptopathy. Based on genetic rodent models and EEG/MEG findings in autists, a neuronal excitation-inhibition dysbalance is considered autism-pathognomonic. We hypothesized that this objectively measurable consequence is not restricted to the diagnosis of ASD but transcends disease borders and is of quantitative rather than qualitative nature. For proof-of-principle, we conducted a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study, monitoring corticospinal excitability and intracortical inhibition of the motor cortex. Employing the GRAS data collection of N > 1200 deep-phenotyped schizophrenic subjects, we had the chance to select for this study N = 20 perfectly matched men. They differed highly significantly by autistic trait severity, as assessed using PANSS autism severity score (PAUSS), capturing the continuum of autistic behaviors. Applying TMS to...Continue Reading

Citations

Jul 25, 2019·Autism : the International Journal of Research and Practice·Talitha C FordAhmad Abu-Akel
May 6, 2020·Brain Topography·Annika A de GoedeMichel J A M van Putten
Jan 30, 2020·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines·Francesca Happé, Uta Frith
Nov 11, 2020·European Psychiatry : the Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists·Antonio VitaUNKNOWN Italian Network for Research on Psychoses
Nov 30, 2019·Schizophrenia Research·Giacomo DestePhilip D Harvey
Feb 20, 2021·Brain Research·Thomas Avino, Jeffrey J Hutsler
Apr 4, 2021·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Anke Hoffmann, Dietmar Spengler
Sep 11, 2021·The American Journal of Psychiatry·Christine EckerDeclan G M Murphy

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