Reduced GABA and altered somatosensory function in children with autism spectrum disorder.

The study compared two groups at one time, so it cannot show that lower GABA caused the tactile differences. It did not test any therapy, so it cannot support a treatment effect. The sample was relatively small, and several children were excluded from scans or tasks, leaving different numbers for each outcome. The children with autism had lower full-scale IQ than controls, although perceptual reasoning did not differ. The sample had to understand instructions and lie still, so it may represent milder autism than the wider clinical population. Some children took non-stimulant psychotropic medication, and stimulant effects were only managed by stopping medication the day before and day of testing. The scan measure included GABA plus other molecules and covered a broad sensorimotor area, so it cannot identify precise cells or circuits. Some tactile differences were only at p = 0.05 and did not pass correction for multiple comparisons.

Do not conclude that low GABA causes sensory problems or that a GABA-targeting therapy will help. The study measured brain GABA and touch performance at one time and did not test treatment.