Serotonin and dopamine transporter binding in children with autism determined by SPECT
Open accessAbstract
Disturbances in the serotonergic system have been recognized in autism. To investigate the association between serotonin and dopamine transporters and autism, we studied 15 children (14 males, one female; mean age 8y 8mo [SD 3y 10mo]) with autism and 10 non‐autistic comparison children (five males, five females; mean age 9y 10mo [SD 2y 8mo]) using single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [123 I] nor‐β‐CIT. The children, with autism were studied during light sedation. They showed reduced serotonin transporter (SERT) binding capacity in the medial frontal cortex, midbrain, and temporal lobe areas. However, after correction due to the estimated effect of sedation, the difference remained significant only in the medial frontal cortex area (p=0.002). In the individuals with autism dopamine transporter (DAT) binding did not differ from that of the comparison group. The results indicate that SERT binding capacity is disturbed in autism. The reduction is more evident in adolescence than in earlier childhood. The low SERT binding reported here and the low serotonin synthesis capacity shown elsewhere may indicate maturation of a lesser number of serotonergic nerve terminals in individuals with autism.
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Group-level abnormalities of serotonergic and dopaminergic transporter activity have been reported in individuals with ASD, but the results are mixed, presumably due to the spectrum nature of ASD.
“While group-level abnormalities of serotonergic and dopaminergic transporter activity have been reported by previous studies using single-photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography in individuals with ASD (119, 120), the results are mixed, presumably due to the spectrum nature of ASD.”
From Can Bayesian Theories of Autism Spectrum Disorder Help Improve Clinical Practice? (2016) · cites this paper as [119]
A significant reduction in SERT but not DAT was found in medial frontal cortex in autistic children by SPECT imaging.
“A significant reduction in SERT but not the dopamine transporter (DAT) was found in medial frontal cortex in autistic children determined by SPECT imaging [186].”
From Consensus Paper: Pathological Role of the Cerebellum in Autism (2012) · cites this paper as [186]
There has been no consistent evidence of striatal DAT-binding differences in ASD.
“to date there has been no consistent evidence of striatal DAT-binding differences in ASD [584,585]”
From Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings (2012) · cites this paper as [584]
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- Authors
- Makkonen, I., Riikonen, R., Kokki, H., Airaksinen, M. M., & Kuikka, J. T.
- Affiliations
- Kuopio University Hospital (FI)
- University of Eastern Finland (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Makkonen, Ismo
- Venue
- Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-08
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 593-597
- ISSN
- 0012-1622 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8749
- OpenAlex
- W2079319305
- Cited by
- 169
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 5.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, serotonin transporter, dopamine transporter, SPECT, serotonergic system, medial frontal cortex, children, neuroimaging
- MeSH terms
- Autistic Disorder, Binding Sites, Brain, Cerebellum, Child, Corpus Striatum, Female, Humans, Male, Mesencephalon, Temporal Lobe, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon, Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins, Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
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