Hadjikhani, N., Åsberg Johnels, J., Lassalle, A., Zürcher, N. R., Hippolyte, L., Gillberg, C. , Lemonnier, E. and Ben-Ari, Y. (2018) Bumetanide for autism: more eye contact, less amygdala activation. Scientific Reports, 8, 3602. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21958-x) (PMID:29483603) (PMCID:PMC5827728)
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Abstract
We recently showed that constraining eye contact leads to exaggerated increase of amygdala activation in autism. Here, in a proof of concept pilot study, we demonstrate that administration of bumetanide (a NKCC1 chloride importer antagonist that restores GABAergic inhibition) normalizes the level of amygdala activation during constrained eye contact with dynamic emotional face stimuli in autism. In addition, eye-tracking data reveal that bumetanide administration increases the time spent in spontaneous eye gaze during in a free-viewing mode of the same face stimuli. In keeping with clinical trials, our data support the Excitatory/Inhibitory dysfunction hypothesis in autism, and indicate that bumetanide may improve specific aspects of social processing in autism. Future double-blind placebo controlled studies with larger cohorts of participants will help clarify the mechanisms of bumetanide action in autism.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (PP00P3-130191 to NH), the Centre d’Imagerie BioMédicale (CIBM) of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), as well as the Foundation Rossi Di Montalera, the LifeWatch Foundation, and the Ahlquist Foundation. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Gillberg, Professor Christopher |
| Authors: | Hadjikhani, N., Åsberg Johnels, J., Lassalle, A., Zürcher, N. R., Hippolyte, L., Gillberg, C., Lemonnier, E., and Ben-Ari, Y. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing |
| Journal Name: | Scientific Reports |
| Publisher: | Nature Research |
| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2045-2322 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2018 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Scientific Reports 8:3602 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
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