Abstract #0774
MM-suppressed GABA concentration correlates with symptom severity and abnormal tactile processing in children with ASD
Nicolaas AJ Puts 1,2 , Ashley D. Harris 1,2 , Mark Tommerdahl 3 , Peter B. Barker 1,2 , Stewart H. Mostofsky 4,5 , and Richard A. Edden 1,2
1
Russell H. Morgan Dept. of Radiology and
Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Maryland, United States,
2
F.M.
Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy
Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States,
3
Dept.
of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United
States,
4
Dept.
of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore,
Maryland, United States,
5
Center
for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy
Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Children with ASD often suffer from sensory impairments,
which may be linked to GABAergic dysfunction. Using
MM-suppressed GABA-edited and tactile psychophyics, we
find that reduced GABA concentration is associated with
ASD severity, and that ASD severity is linked to worse
sensory performance. Furthermore, associations between
GABA and sensory performance exist in healthy children,
but not children with ASD. Our data suggest that
GABAergic impairments are linked to sensory impairments
in ASD. A better understanding of these mechanisms might
allow for future therapies to alleviate these symptoms.
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