The body makes many chemicals that help it function correctly. When these chemicals are missing or incorrect, the body may have problems functioning properly, which may result in symptoms of autism or other disorders. Researchers are now trying to uncover how body chemicals might be involved in autism, so they can learn how the genes that make these chemicals might also play a role. Researchers are also studying whether medications might regulate or control these chemicals to create normal chemical levels. Normalizing the chemicals in a person with ASDs might reduce symptoms.
As mentioned earlier, GABA may play a role in autism and definitely plays a role in epilepsy. Levels of different types of GABA compounds are abnormally low in persons with autism. Researchers believe that these low levels may contribute to autism. In studies of mice, disrupting the GABA pathway causes seizures, extreme reactions to touch and sound, and stereotyped actions—symptoms also common in autism. Research now focuses on whether medications used to treat these problems can also reduce some of the symptoms of autism.
Another brain chemical mentioned earlier— serotonin—is also out-of-balance in many persons with autism. High serotonin levels may explain why persons with autism have problems showing emotion and handling sensory information, such as sounds, touch, and smells. Researchers now focus on whether medications that regulate serotonin levels may improve behavior in persons with autism. They also examine the genes that make and regulate serotonin and its pathway components to see if they can find any changes or patterns.
