Gangliosides in children with autism |
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| Authors: | A Lekman O Skjeldal E Sponheim L Svennerholm |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Gothenburg, Sweden;Department of Pediatrics, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, Norway;University of Oslo and National Centre for Child Psychiatry, University of Oslo, Norway |
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| Abstract: | Concentrations of the four major brain gangliosides, GM1, GDla, GDlb and GTlb, biochemical markers of neuronal membranes, were determined in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 20 children with autism and in 25 controls. In addition, the gangliosides were determined in children with different forms of non-progressive neurological disorders lacking clinical features of autism. GM1, GDla, GDlb and GTlb were significantly increased in patients with autism compared with age-matched controls and children with non-progressive neurological disorders. The gangliosides have previously been shown to have a function in synaptic transmission and increased synaptic activity leads to added release of gangliosides. Our finding of increased CSF levels of gangliosides in autism suggests increased synaptic activity in this disorder. Autism, gangliosides, mental retardation, neurological disorders, synaptic activity |
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