Brain glutathione and GABA+ levels in autistic children.
Yulu Song, Kathleen E Hupfeld, Christopher W Davies-Jenkins and 11 others
PMID 38279628WHAT IT FOUND
Brain scans found no difference in glutathione or GABA levels between autistic and non-autistic children.
Higher GABA in motor and thalamus regions correlated with ADHD inattention scores, but this secondary finding was not adjusted for multiple comparisons.
Key findings
01There were no statistically significant associations between GSH or GABA+ levels and diagnosis group, age, or sex within any of the four examined brain regions.
02Higher GABA levels in the SM1 and Thal regions were significantly correlated with higher inattention scores from the Conners rating scale.
03The study was sufficiently powered to detect moderate-to-large effects but not smaller ones.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The cohort was predominantly male (10:1 ratio), which limits generalizability to autistic girls. The study was underpowered to detect small differences in metabolite levels. The significant correlation between GABA and inattention was a secondary finding not adjusted for multiple comparisons. Some participants continued psychotropic medications (though stimulants were paused), which could theoretically influence results.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the correlation between GABA levels and ADHD inattention as a confirmed biological marker for autism or ADHD, as this was a secondary finding not adjusted for multiple comparisons.