Regional cerebral glucose metabolism and attention in adults with a history of childhood autism

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1992 Fall;4(4):406-14. doi: 10.1176/jnp.4.4.406.

Abstract

Sixteen high-functioning adults with a history of childhood autism and 26 normal control subjects underwent [18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron-emission tomography to assess regional cerebral glucose metabolic rate (GMR). Autistic patients had a left > right anterior rectal gyrus asymmetry, as opposed to the normal right > left asymmetry in that region. Patients also showed low GMR in the left posterior putamen and high GMR in the right posterior calcarine cortex. Brain regions with GMR > 3 SD from the normal mean were more prevalent in patients than in control subjects. This variable pattern of abnormal activity is consistent with heterogeneous neurophysiological etiology; group differences in striatum and cortex may represent a final common pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attention / physiology*
  • Autistic Disorder / diagnostic imaging*
  • Autistic Disorder / physiopathology
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cerebral Cortex / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
  • Deoxyglucose / analogs & derivatives
  • Deoxyglucose / metabolism
  • Dominance, Cerebral / physiology*
  • Energy Metabolism / physiology
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed*

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Deoxyglucose