Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40002484›Full record

ReviewBrain sciences2025

Tetrahydrobiopterin and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of a Promising Therapeutic Pathway.

Clóvis Colpani Filho, Lucas Melfior, Sthephanie Luiz Ramos, Mateus Santos Oliveira Pizi, Lilian Freitas Taruhn, Margrit Ellis Muller, Thiago Kucera Nunes, Luísa de Oliveira Schmitt, Joana Margarida Gaspar, Miguel de Abreu de Oliveira and 3 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. The Role of GCH1 Deficiency and Tetrahydrobiopterin in Mental Health.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Clóvis Colpani FilhoLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Lucas MelfiorMedicine School, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Sthephanie Luiz RamosLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Mateus Santos Oliveira PiziMedicine School, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-1873-3419
Lilian Freitas TaruhnMedicine School, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-5680-5375
Margrit Ellis MullerLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Thiago Kucera NunesLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Luísa de Oliveira SchmittLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Joana Margarida GasparLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-3151-4234
Miguel de Abreu de OliveiraLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-6907-189X
Giovanna TassinariLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.ORCID 0009-0005-9954-7800
Luisa CruzLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.
Alexandra LatiniLaboratório de Bioenergética e Estresse Oxidativo-LABOX, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-4255-3589

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. ASD encompasses a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and functional impairments, ranging from mild to severe. Despite its prevalence, the underlying physiopathological mechanisms of ASD remain largely unknown, resulting in a lack of effective targeted therapeutic interventions, contributing to significant financial and emotional burdens on affected families and the healthcare system. Emerging evidence suggests that dysfunction in the tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) pathway may impair the activity of monoaminergic and nitric oxide (NO)-dependent neurons in individuals with ASD. To explore this potential mechanism, we conducted a systematic review to analyze such impairments to gather information on whether the off-label use of BH4 could represent a novel pharmacological approach for managing ASD. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically reviewed the literature from four databases: PubMed, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane Library, and SciELO, from January 1967 to December 2021. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The inclusion criteria for this systematic review focused on identifying articles published in English that contained the following keywords, used in various combinations:

Indexed as

autisminflammationneopterinneurotransmittersnitric oxide

Identifiers

PMID40002484
PMCPMC11853471

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.