The Lack of Alterations in Metabolites in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala, but Their Associations with Autistic Traits, Empathy, and Personality Traits in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study.
Yukihiko Shirayama, Kazuki Matsumoto, Fumio Osone and 7 others
PMID 36251207WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with autism showed no differences in brain metabolite levels compared to controls.
However, metabolite levels in specific brain regions correlated with autistic traits, empathy, and personality scores in both groups, though most correlations did not survive statistical correction.
Key findings
01There were no significant differences in glutamate, Glx, NAA, GPC + PC, Cr + PCr, or myo-inositol levels in the medial prefrontal cortex or amygdala between adults with ASD and non-ASD controls.
02In adults with ASD, autistic trait scores were significantly related to glutamate and Glx contents in the amygdala, but these correlations were not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction.
03Empathic concern scores in adults with ASD showed significant correlations with glutamate and Glx in the medial prefrontal cortex that remained statistically significant after Bonferroni correction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample size was small, with only 24 participants in each group. The study involved a large number of statistical comparisons, increasing the risk that some significant findings are due to chance. Most correlations did not survive Bonferroni correction, limiting the strength of the evidence for associations between metabolites and psychological traits. The authors describe the findings as preliminary and exploratory, indicating they are not robust enough to support clinical conclusions. There were differences in IQ and depressive symptoms between the groups, which could influence the results.
Declared interests
The provided text does not contain a conflict of interest or funding declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the observed correlations between brain metabolites and psychological traits as evidence that these metabolites cause or explain symptoms of autism. The study was a preliminary case-control design with a small sample size and multiple comparisons, and the authors explicitly state the findings are exploratory.