TY - JOUR
T1 - Fronto-striatal glutamate in autism spectrum disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder
AU - Naaijen, Jilly
AU - Zwiers, Marcel P.
AU - Amiri, Houshang
AU - Williams, Steven C R
AU - Durston, Sarah
AU - Oranje, Bob
AU - Brandeis, Daniel
AU - Boecker-Schlier, Regina
AU - Ruf, Matthias
AU - Wolf, Isabella
AU - Banaschewski, Tobias
AU - Glennon, Jeffrey C.
AU - Franke, Barbara
AU - Buitelaar, Jan K.
AU - Lythgoe, David J
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
PY - 2017/11/1
Y1 - 2017/11/1
N2 - Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are often comorbid with the overlap based on compulsive behaviors. Although previous studies suggest glutamatergic deficits in fronto-striatal brain areas in both disorders, this is the first study to directly compare the glutamate concentrations across the two disorders with those in healthy control participants using both categorical and dimensional approaches. In the current multi-center study (four centers), we used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 51 children with ASD, 29 with OCD, and 53 healthy controls (aged 8-13 years) to investigate glutamate (Glu) concentrations in two regions of the fronto-striatal circuit: midline anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left dorsal striatum. Spectra were processed with Linear Combination Model. Group comparisons were performed with one-way analyses of variance including sex, medication use, and scanner site as covariates. In addition, a dimensional analysis was performed, linking glutamate with a continuous measure of compulsivity across disorders. There was a main group effect for ACC glutamate (p=0.019). Contrast analyses showed increased glutamate both in children with ASD and OCD compared with controls (p=0.007), but no differences between the two disorders (p=0.770). Dimensional analyses revealed a positive correlation between compulsive behavior (measured with the Repetitive Behavior Scale) and ACC glutamate (rho=0.24, p=0.03). These findings were robust across sites. No differences were found in the striatum. The current findings confirm overlap between ASD and OCD in terms of glutamate involvement. Glutamate concentration in ACC seems to be associated with the severity of compulsive behavior.
AB - Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are often comorbid with the overlap based on compulsive behaviors. Although previous studies suggest glutamatergic deficits in fronto-striatal brain areas in both disorders, this is the first study to directly compare the glutamate concentrations across the two disorders with those in healthy control participants using both categorical and dimensional approaches. In the current multi-center study (four centers), we used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 51 children with ASD, 29 with OCD, and 53 healthy controls (aged 8-13 years) to investigate glutamate (Glu) concentrations in two regions of the fronto-striatal circuit: midline anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left dorsal striatum. Spectra were processed with Linear Combination Model. Group comparisons were performed with one-way analyses of variance including sex, medication use, and scanner site as covariates. In addition, a dimensional analysis was performed, linking glutamate with a continuous measure of compulsivity across disorders. There was a main group effect for ACC glutamate (p=0.019). Contrast analyses showed increased glutamate both in children with ASD and OCD compared with controls (p=0.007), but no differences between the two disorders (p=0.770). Dimensional analyses revealed a positive correlation between compulsive behavior (measured with the Repetitive Behavior Scale) and ACC glutamate (rho=0.24, p=0.03). These findings were robust across sites. No differences were found in the striatum. The current findings confirm overlap between ASD and OCD in terms of glutamate involvement. Glutamate concentration in ACC seems to be associated with the severity of compulsive behavior.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85004147209&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/npp.2016.260
DO - 10.1038/npp.2016.260
M3 - Article
C2 - 27869141
SN - 0893-133X
VL - 42
SP - 2456
EP - 2465
JO - Neuropsychopharmacology
JF - Neuropsychopharmacology
IS - 12
ER -