Local activity alterations in autism spectrum disorder correlate with neurotransmitter properties and ketamine induced brain changes.
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences October 21, 2024 Pascal Grumbach, Jan Kasper, Joerg F Hipp et al. 1 citation preprint
Autism spectrum disorder involves altered resting-state brain function, and an imbalance between excitation and inhibition is a proposed mechanism. In two large independent cohorts, individuals with autism consistently showed reduced local brain activity in default mode network nodes and increased activity in temporal regions, cerebellum, and brainstem. These activity changes spatially overlapped with multiple neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine, glutamate, GABA, and acetylcholine. The NMDA-antagonist ketamine, but not the GABA-potentiator midazolam, induced activity changes resembling those seen in autism, suggesting that pharmacologically shifting the excitation-inhibition balance can mimic autism-related brain alterations.