Brief report: Sensorimotor gating in idiopathic autism and autism associated with fragile X syndrome

J Autism Dev Disord. 2011 Feb;41(2):248-53. doi: 10.1007/s10803-010-1040-9.

Abstract

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) may useful for exploring the proposed shared neurobiology between idiopathic autism and autism caused by FXS. We compared PPI in four groups: typically developing controls (n = 18), FXS and autism (FXS+A; n = 15), FXS without autism spectrum disorder (FXS-A; n = 17), and idiopathic autism (IA; n = 15). Relative to controls, the FXS+A (p < 0.002) and FXS-A (p < 0.003) groups had impaired PPI. The FXS+A (p < 0.01) and FXS-A (p < 0.03) groups had lower PPI than the IA group. Prolonged startle latency was seen in the IA group. The differing PPI profiles seen in the FXS+A and IA indicates these groups may not share a common neurobiological abnormality of sensorimotor gating.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Autistic Disorder / complications
  • Autistic Disorder / physiopathology*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Fragile X Syndrome / complications
  • Fragile X Syndrome / physiopathology*
  • Fragile X Syndrome / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Reflex, Startle / physiology
  • Sensory Gating* / physiology
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Young Adult