Prevalence of serum antibodies to caudate nucleus in autistic children.

Neurosci Lett

Department of Biology, Biotechnology Center Building, Utah State University, 4700 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-4700, USA.

Published: January 2004

Autism may involve autoimmunity to brain. We studied regional distribution of antibodies to rat caudate nucleus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, brain stem and hippocampus. The study included 30 normal and 68 autistic children. Antibodies were assayed by immunoblotting. Autistic children, but not normal children, had antibodies to caudate nucleus (49% positive sera), cerebral cortex (18% positive sera) and cerebellum (9% positive sera). Brain stem and hippocampus were negative. Antibodies to caudate nucleus were directed towards three proteins having 160, 115 and 49 kD molecular weights. Since a significant number of autistic children had antibodies to caudate nucleus, we propose that an autoimmune reaction to this brain region may cause neurological impairments in autistic children. Thus, the caudate nucleus might be involved in the neurobiology of autism.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2003.10.026DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

caudate nucleus
24
autistic children
20
antibodies caudate
16
children antibodies
12
positive sera
12
cerebral cortex
8
brain stem
8
stem hippocampus
8
antibodies
6
caudate
6

Similar Publications

Background: Cognitive networks impairments are common in neuropsychiatric disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ). While previous research has focused on specific brain regions, the role of the procedural memory as a type of long-term memory to examine cognitive networks impairments in these disorders remains unclear. This study investigates alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) within the procedural memory network to explore brain function associated with cognitive networks in patients with these disorders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objectives: Brain energy deficiency occurs at the early stage of Huntington disease (HD). Triheptanoin, a drug that targets the Krebs cycle, can restore a normal brain energetic profile in patients with HD. In this study, we aimed at assessing its efficacy on clinical and neuroimaging structural measures in HD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study aimed to investigate the topological properties of brain functional networks in patients with tinnitus of varying durations. A total of 51 tinnitus patients (divided into recent-onset tinnitus (ROT) and persistent tinnitus (PT) groups) and 27 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All participants underwent resting-state functional MRI and audiological assessments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To evaluate whether patients with tension-type headache (TTH) exhibit abnormal brain functional connectivity compared to healthy controls.

Background: TTH is one of the most prevalent headache disorders throughout the world. The present study delves into brain functional connectivity in patients with TTH to enhance the understanding of its underlying pathophysiology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder, characterized by restricted eating, fear to gain weight, and a distorted body image. Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) functions as a part of complex opioid system and supports both homeostatic and hedonic control of eating behavior. Thirteen patients with AN and thirteen healthy controls (HC) were included in this study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!