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Autism spectrum disorders: let's talk about glucose?
Silvia Hoirisch-Clapauch1, Antonio E Nardi2
1Hospital Federal dos Servidores do Estado, Ministry of Health, Av. Atlantica 434 - 1101, Rio de Janeiro - CEP, 22010-000, Brazil. sclapauch@gmail.com.
Translational Psychiatry
|February 2, 2019
Summary
Maternal glucose abnormalities, such as intrauterine hyperglycemia and neonatal hypoglycemia, may influence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) development. Lifestyle interventions and targeted screening could potentially reduce ASD prevalence.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are linked to neuronal migration defects and mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Intrauterine hyperglycemia and neonatal hypoglycemia are implicated in pathways affecting neuronal development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between maternal and offspring glucose abnormalities and ASD risk factors.
- To explore the potential role of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in ASD pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Literature search using PubMed with "autism spectrum disorder" and "risk factors".
- Analysis of the association between identified risk factors and maternal/neonatal glucose levels.
- Review of rodent studies on intrauterine hyperglycemia and medication effects.
Main Results:
- Strong links exist between glucose abnormalities (obesity, maternal diabetes) and ASD risk factors.
- Connections between malformations, SSRI exposure, and glucose issues are speculative but supported by animal models.
- Maternal high-carbohydrate diets or inactivity can affect neonatal glucose levels, with some hypoglycemia cases missed by current screening.
Conclusions:
- Maternal glycemic control and enhanced neonatal hypoglycemia screening, considering lifestyle and prenatal medication exposure, may be crucial for reducing ASD prevalence.
- Further controlled studies are necessary to validate these interventions.
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