Abnormal activation and alterations in neuron density and neurotransmitters in the default mode network in autism

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591701
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: OMATA Kei 浜松医科大学, メディカルフォトニクス研究センター, 特任助教 (20508783)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YOSHIHARA Yujiro 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 研究員 (00529464) ; MATSUMOTO Kaori 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (20447808) ; OUCHI Yasuomi 浜松医科大学, メディカルフォトニクス研究センター, 教授 (40436978) ; NAKAMURA Kazuhiko 弘前大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (80263911)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TSUJII Masatugu 浜松医科大学, 子どものこころの発達研究センター, 客員教授 (20257546) ; ITO Hiroyuki 浜松医科大学, 子どものこころの発達研究センター, 特任助教
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 自閉症 / 脳構造 / MRS / デフォルトモードネットワーク / 顔認知 / 紡錘状回

Outline of Final Research Achievements

While autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now the focus of public attention, the pathogenic mechanism of the disease remains elusive. Alterations in neuron density and neurotransmitters in the cerebral cortex may be ascribed to peculiar information processing developed in ASD. Since abnormal activations are shown to appear in the default mode network (DMN) that reflects basic brain activities during resting state and in the fusiform gyrus (FFG) that subserves face recognition in autism, we hypothesize that an abnormality of the DMN/FFG activation may be due to alteration in the density of neurons and the quantity of neurotransmitters in the DMN/FFG. To test this hypothesis, we　investigated the brain functions of the DMN/FFG using fMRI regarding resting state and face recognition processing, and have been examining the concentration of neurotransmitters and chemicals in the DMN/FFG using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which must allow us to measure them in the brain tissues in vivo.

Free Research Field

神経科学、認知科学