Metabolite alterations in the hippocampus of high-functioning adult subjects with autism

• Published in: The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 529 - 534
• Main Authors: Suzuki, Katsuaki, Nishimura, Katsuhiko, Sugihara, Genichi, Nakamura, Kazuhiko, Tsuchiya, Kenji J., Matsumoto, Kaori, Takebayashi, Kiyokazu, Isoda, Haruo, Sakahara, Harumi, Sugiyama, Toshiro, Tsujii, Masatsugu, Takei, Nori, Mori, Norio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2010; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aggression - psychology; Aspartic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Aspartic Acid - metabolism; Autistic Disorder - complications; Autistic Disorder - diagnosis; Autistic Disorder - metabolism; Cerebellum - metabolism; Choline - analogs & derivatives; Choline - metabolism; Creatine - metabolism; Hippocampus - metabolism; Humans; Male; Phosphocreatine - metabolism; magnetic resonance spectroscopy; hippocampus; Aggression; autism
• ISSN: 1461-1457; 1469-5111; 1469-5111
• DOI: 10.1017/S1461145709990952

The aim of the present study was to investigate metabolite alterations in the hippocampal formation as they relate to aggression in high-functioning adults with autism. We measured concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline-containing compounds (Cho), and creatine plus phosphocreatine (Cr+PCr) in the hippocampal formation by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 12 non-medicated male subjects with autism and 12 age- and sex-matched controls. Aggression was scored in the autistic subjects using the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. The concentrations of Cho and Cr+PCr in the hippocampal formation in autistic subjects were significantly higher than the corresponding values in control subjects, and a significant positive correlation was observed between the concentrations of these metabolites in the hippocampal formation and scores on the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire in autistic subjects. Results suggest that high-functioning adult subjects with autism have abnormal metabolite concentrations in the hippocampal formation, which may in part account for their aggression.