Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2025
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Exploring the association between serum magnesium level and autism spectrum disorder using validated
Atiah H Almalki1, Ahmed K Bamaga2, Adnan Alharbi3
1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia; Addiction and Neuroscience Research Unit, Health Science Campus, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia.
Autistic children show significantly lower serum magnesium levels compared to healthy children. This study developed a validated method to measure magnesium, revealing a potential link between magnesium deficiency and autism spectrum disorder.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Neuroscience
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Magnesium is vital for biological systems, impacting brain health.
- Magnesium deficiency is linked to metabolic issues and neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may be associated with altered magnesium levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a standard addition method for quantifying endogenous magnesium in children's serum.
- To compare serum magnesium levels in autistic children versus healthy children.
Main Methods:
- Functionalized fluorescent graphene quantum dots with a magnesium-phosphomolybdic acid complex.
- Measured magnesium-induced fluorescence quenching, which is concentration-dependent.
- Validated the analytical approach per ICH M10 guidelines for bioanalytical techniques.
Main Results:
- The method reliably quantified serum magnesium in both autistic and healthy children.
- Autistic children exhibited significantly lower serum magnesium concentrations (P < 0.01).
- Average serum magnesium levels were 2.03 ± 0.33 mg/dl for autistic children and 2.28 ± 0.26 mg/dl for healthy children.
Conclusions:
- The study established a validated analytical method for serum magnesium determination.
- A significant correlation between magnesium deficiency and autism spectrum disorder was observed.
- Findings suggest magnesium plays a role in the neurobiology of autism.
