Autism, Mitochondria, and the Latest Research

In some patients with autism, mitochondrial dysfunction may be a key contributor to their symptoms. Researcher Suzanne Goh, MD, has participated in research aimed at identifying how often and when mitochondrial dysfunction plays a role.

In one of her studies, MRIs were used to measure lactate in the brains of 75 children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and 96 controls.¹ Lactate peaks are used to identify mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain.¹ The study estimated that at least 20% of individuals with autism also have mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting a range of potential new therapies that could mitigate autism symptoms.¹

This research continues to support the line of thinking that a subgroup of individuals with autism have mitochondrial dysfunction,² suggesting new treatment avenues for this subgroup.³

REFERENCES

1. Goh S, Dong Z, Zhang Y, DiMauro S, Peterson BS. Brain imaging evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is a neurobiological subtype of autism spectrum disorder. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(6):665-71. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.179.
2. Rossignol DA, Frye RE. Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry. 2012;17(3):290-314. doi: 10.1038/mp.2010.136.
3. Cheng N, Rho JM, Masino SA. Metabolic dysfunction underlying autism spectrum disorder and potential treatment approaches. Front Mol Neurosci. 2017;10:34. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00034.