Plasma anandamide concentrations are lower in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Debra S Karhson, Karolina M Krasinska, Jamie Ahloy Dallaire and 6 others
PMID 29564080WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism had lower plasma anandamide levels than controls.
This was a blood biomarker difference, not a tested treatment, and medication use differed between groups.
Key findings
01Children with ASD had lower plasma anandamide concentrations than controls: mean 0.149 pg/μl versus 0.177 pg/μl.
02Plasma anandamide concentrations significantly separated ASD cases from controls in the statistical model, with likelihood ratio chi-square 4.16 and p = 0.041.
03Medication use differed between groups: 29 children with ASD used psychotropic medications, while no controls did.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The groups differed in age and full-scale IQ. The analysis adjusted for those differences instead of matching participants. Medication status differed: 29 children with ASD used psychotropic medications and no controls did, so the biomarker difference may reflect medication use. The study was not powered to assess sex differences or relationships between anandamide and ASD behaviour. Plasma anandamide did not perfectly classify children with ASD and controls. Only a single endocannabinoid analyte was measured, and the concentrations were estimated from a calibration approach. The findings are preliminary and need replication in an independent cohort.
Declared interests
Funding came from the Simons Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, Stanford University Mass Spectrometry, Teresa and Charles Michael Endowed Fund for Autism Research and Education, and the Mosbacher Family Fund for Autism Research. The supplied text lists funding only.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat plasma anandamide as a diagnostic test or a reason to change therapy. The study found lower concentrations in children with autism, but no controls used psychotropic medications while 29 children with autism did, so medication status could explain the difference.