Epilepsy in autism spectrum disorders

Canitano, Roberto

doi:10.1007/s00787-006-0563-2

Cited by 260 publications

(153 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Estimates of the prevalence rates of epilepsy in ASD range from 5-46% (Bryson, Clark, & Smith, 1988;Hughes & Melyn, 2005) and converge at around 30% (Canitano, 2007). Subclinical epileptiform activity in the electroencephalography (EEG) is also present in a high proportion of children with ASD (Chez et al, 2006;Hughes and Melyn, (MEG) or EEG, and atypical perceptual function, have been considered to infer E/I imbalance in ASD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring neural excitation and inhibition in autism: Different approaches, different findings and different interpretations

2016

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The balance of neural excitation and inhibition (E/I balance) is often hypothesised to be altered in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One widely held view is that excitation levels are elevated relative to inhibition in ASD. Understanding whether, and how, E/I balance may be altered in ASD is important given the recent interest in trialling pharmacological interventions for ASD which target inhibitory neurotransmitter function.Here we provide a critical review of evidence for E/I balance in ASD. We conclude that data from a number of domains provides support for alteration in excitation and inhibitory neurotransmission in ASD, but when considered collectively, the available literature provide little evidence to support claims for either a net increase in excitation or a net increase in inhibition. Strengths and limitations of available techniques are considered, and directions for future research discussed.3

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring neural excitation and inhibition in autism: Different approaches, different findings and different interpretations

2016

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“…When rats are exposed to DA early in life, they are challenged by long-term deficits in social behavior, particularly males [50], a sensitivity that resembles the sex bias in autism. DA exposure and ASD also share commonality in the expression of repetitive behaviors [51,52] and heightened seizure activity, which occurs in approximately one quarter of autistic children [53][54][55]. Less obvious behavioral phenotypes that are shared by exposure to toxic levels of DA and ASD include deficits with spatial memory, which are expressed by both DA-exposed California sea lions and children with ASD [56,57].…”

Section: Toxicity Of Domoic Acidmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Critically, variations in excitatory tone are associated with deficits in social functioning [61] and in heightened seizure susceptibility [54,[62][63][64]. Exposure to toxic levels of DA and ASD also share in common abnormalities in limbic structures [64,65], particularly the hippocampus [66][67][68][69] and the amygdala [64,70,71], along with possible similarities in connectivity [72,73].…”

Section: Toxicity Of Domoic Acidmentioning

confidence: 99%

What California sea lions exposed to domoic acid might teach us about autism: lessons for predictive and preventive medicine

Lahvis

2017

EPMA Journal

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shares many biological and behavioral similarities with the deleterious effects of domoic acid (DA) exposure. DA is produced by marine algae and most commonly by species of Pseudo-nitzschia. Humans and marine mammals can be exposed to DA when they consume whole fish or shellfish. The mammalian fetus is highly sensitive to the deleterious effects of DA exposure. Both ASD and exposures to toxic levels of DA feature repetitive behaviors, challenges with social interaction, and seizures. They can also share a commonality in brain anatomy and function, particularly the balance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms. The current article is relevant to predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine for three reasons. First, shellfish consumption may be a risk factor for ASD and the regulatory limit for DA should be adjusted to prevent this possibility. Human contributions to increased algal production of DA in coastal waters should be identified and reduced. Second, evaluations of sentinel species wild and free-roaming in the environment, though typically outside the purview of biomedical research, should be much more fully employed to gain insights to risk factors for human disease. To better identify and prevent disease, biomedical researchers shouldstudy wildpopulations.Third, studies of DA exposure highlight the possibility that glutamate additives to processed foods may also have deleterious impacts on human brain development and behavior.Keywords Domoic acid . Autism spectrum disorder . Glutamate . Behavior . Anatomy . Brain . Development . Predictive diagnosis . Targeted prevention . Population screening Autism and its prevalenceAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often diagnosed early in childhood and features deficits in social interaction and communication and includes repetitive behaviors and circumscribed interests [1,2]. The prevalence of autism is more common among boys than girls [3] and has increased substantially over the past 20 years [3,4]. ASD is the most highly heritable developmental disability yet researchers have identified only a few genetic susceptibility factors [5][6][7][8][9][10] that can account for a small fraction of the diagnosed population [10].

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“…A strong association has been shown between epilepsy and ASD. The incidence of epilepsy in ASD has been reported to be between 5 -40% (Canitano, 2007). Factors such as referral criteria, age and severity of cognitive impairments all contribute to the variability in report rate (Canitano, 2007;Tuchman et al, 2009).…”

Section: Gabaergic Dysfunction In Autism and Epilepsymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The incidence of epilepsy in ASD has been reported to be between 5 -40% (Canitano, 2007). Factors such as referral criteria, age and severity of cognitive impairments all contribute to the variability in report rate (Canitano, 2007;Tuchman et al, 2009). Children that co-express autism and epilepsy show a poorer outcome in cognitive and adaptive behaviour than those without epilepsy (Danielsson et al, 2005;Hara, 2007).…”

Section: Gabaergic Dysfunction In Autism and Epilepsymentioning

confidence: 99%