Glutamate concentration in the brain of individuals with autism: A proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22591281
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: YOSHIHARA Yujiro 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 特任研究員 (00529464)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SUZUKI Katuaki 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (00285040) ; IWATA Yasuhide 浜松医科大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (10285025) ; TSUCHIYA Kenji 浜松医科大学, 子どものこころの発達研究センター, 准教授 (20362189) ; MATSUMOTO Kaori 浜松医科大学, 子どものこころの発達研究センター, 助教 (40432207) ; TAKEBAYASHI Kiyokazu 浜松医科大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (50397428)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2012
• Keywords: 児童 / 思春期精神医学 / 分子イメージング

Research Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine possible alterations in the glutamatergic neurotransmitter system in the autistic brain by means of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We measured concentrations of glutamate and glutamine as well as major metabolites such as N-acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine by MRS using 3-T scanner in 35 non-medicated subjects with autism and 35 age- and sex-matched controls. Regions of interest were placed over the cerebellar vermis, medial frontal cortices, basal ganglia, and amygdala -hippocampal complex. As a result, there was no significant difference in concentrations of any of metabolites throughout regions of interest measured between subjects with autism and controls. The current MRSstudy failed to support alterations in the glutamatergic neurotransmission in autism reported by some previous studies.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Metabolite alterations in the hippocampus of high-functioning adult subjects with autism (2010)
  • Author(s): Suzuki K, Nishimura K, Sugihara G, Nakamura K, Tsuchiya KJ, Matsumoto K, Takebayashi K, Isoda H, Sakahara H,Sugiyama T, Tsujii M, Takei N, Mori N
  • Journal Title: Int J Neuropsychopharmacol Volume: 13 Pages: 529-534