ArticleMolecular autism2023
Increased cerebral lactate levels in adults with autism spectrum disorders compared to non-autistic controls: a magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
Article in Molecular autism, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interaction of the Gut Microbiota and the Enteric Nervous System: Implications in Gastrointestinal Disorders Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Review
- Linking Brain Morphometry to Psychometric Measures and Energy-Metabolic Biomarkers in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Article
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence from Genetic, Biochemical, and Neuroimaging Approaches.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Mercury-induced excitotoxicity in autism spectrum disorder: disruption of glutamatergic homeostasis and the therapeutic role of the selenium-glutathione axis.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2026Review
- Transcriptomic analysis reveals synaptic dysregulation and mitochondrial dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2026Article
- Neuroinflammatory mechanisms and pharmacological advances in autism spectrum disorder: from inflammatory pathways to targeted interventions.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Neuroimaging evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation in psychiatric disorders: a review.Psychoradiology · 2026Review
- MR spectroscopic imaging and its association with EEG, CSF, and psychometric/neuropsychological findings in patients with suspected autoimmune psychosis spectrum syndromes.Acta neuropsychiatrica · 2025Article
- Blueprint of Collapse: Precision Biomarkers, Molecular Cascades, and the Engineered Decline of Fast-Progressing ALS.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Potential for New Therapeutic Approaches by Targeting Lactate and pH Mediated Epigenetic Dysregulation in Major Mental Diseases.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Binding Folate Receptor Alpha Autoantibody Is a Biomarker for Leucovorin Treatment Response in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a heterogeneous group with varied phenotypes and etiologies. Identifying pathogenic subgroups could facilitate targeted treatments. One promising avenue is investigating energy metabolism, as mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in a subgroup of ASD. Lactate, an indicator of energy metabolic anomalies, may serve as a potential biomarker for this subgroup. This study aimed to examine cerebral lactate (Lac+) levels in high-functioning adults with ASD, hypothesizing elevated mean Lac+ concentrations in contrast to neurotypical controls (NTCs). MATERIALS AND
methodsMagnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to study cerebral Lac+ in 71 adults with ASD and NTC, focusing on the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). After quality control, 64 ASD and 58 NTC participants remained. Lac+ levels two standard deviations above the mean of the control group were considered elevated.
resultsMean PCC Lac+ levels were significantly higher in the ASD group than in the NTC group (p = 0.028; Cohen's d = 0.404), and 9.4% of the ASD group had elevated levels as compared to 0% of the NTCs (p = 0.029). No significant correlation was found between blood serum lactate levels and MRS-derived Lac+ levels. LIMITATIONS: A cautious interpretation of our results is warranted due to a p value of 0.028. In addition, a higher than anticipated proportion of data sets had to be excluded due to poor spectral quality.
conclusionThis study confirms the presence of elevated cerebral Lac+ levels in a subgroup of adults with ASD, suggesting the potential of lactate as a biomarker for mitochondrial dysfunction in a subgroup of ASD. The lower-than-expected prevalence (20% was expected) and moderate increase require further investigation to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and relationships with mitochondrial function.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.