For a study, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) evidenced significantly decreased resting alpha power comparable with their typically developing (TD) peers. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) estimates of GABA and Glx did not differ between groups except Glx in the temporal-parietal junction. Inter-individual differences in alpha power within the ASD group were not related to region-specific concentrations of GABA or Glx, nor were they related to sensory processing differences. However, atypically decreased Glx was related to increased sensory impairment in children with ASD. Although researchers replicated prior reports of decreased alpha power in ASD, atypically reduced alpha was not associated with neurochemical differences or sensory symptoms in ASD. Instead, reduced Glx in the temporal-parietal cortex was related to more significant hypersensitivity in ASD. Together, these researches provided 8 insight into the neural underpinnings of sensory processing differences present in ASD. Researches examined whether resting-state alpha power differed in children with ASD as compared to TD children and investigated the relationships between alpha levels, concentrations of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, and atypical sensory processing in ASD. Participants included thirty-one children and adolescents with ASD and 31 age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) participants. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was used to obtain measures of alpha power.
Link:jneurodevdisorders.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s11689-020-09351-0
