Cortical serotonin 5-HT2A receptor binding and social communication in adults with Asperger's syndrome: an in vivo SPECT study

Declan G M Murphy; Eileen Daly; Nicole Schmitz; Fiona Toal; Keiran Murphy; Sarah Curran; Kjell Erlandsson; Jos Eersels; Robert Kerwin; Peter Ell; Michael Travis

doi:10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.934

Cortical serotonin 5-HT2A receptor binding and social communication in adults with Asperger's syndrome: an in vivo SPECT study

Declan G M Murphy, Eileen Daly, Nicole Schmitz, Fiona Toal, Keiran Murphy, Sarah Curran, Kjell Erlandsson, Jos Eersels, Robert Kerwin, Peter Ell, Michael Travis

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The cause of autistic spectrum disorder (i.e., autism and Asperger's syndrome) is unknown. The serotonergic (5-HT) system may be especially implicated. However, cortical 5-HT2A receptor density in adults with the disorder has not been examined, to the authors' knowledge.

METHOD: The authors investigated cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in eight adults with Asperger's syndrome and in 10 healthy comparison subjects with single photon emission computed tomography and the selective 5-HT2A receptor ligand 123I iodinated 4-amino-N-[1-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-4-methyl-4-piperidinyl]-5-iodo-2-methoxybenzamide (123I-5-I-R91150).

RESULTS: People with Asperger's syndrome had a significant reduction in cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in the total, anterior, and posterior cingulate; bilaterally in the frontal and superior temporal lobes; and in the left parietal lobe. Also, reduced receptor binding was significantly related to abnormal social communication.

CONCLUSIONS: The authors' findings suggest that adults with Asperger's syndrome have abnormalities in cortical 5-HT2A receptor density and that this deficit may underlie some clinical symptoms.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	934-936
Number of pages	3
Journal	The American Journal of Psychiatry
Volume	163
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.934
Publication status	Published - 2006

Keywords

Adult
Asperger Syndrome
Cerebral Cortex
Communication
Functional Laterality
Gyrus Cinguli
Humans
Iodine Radioisotopes
Male
Parietal Lobe
Piperidines
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A
Social Behavior
Temporal Lobe
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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title = "Cortical serotonin 5-HT2A receptor binding and social communication in adults with Asperger's syndrome: an in vivo SPECT study",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: The cause of autistic spectrum disorder (i.e., autism and Asperger's syndrome) is unknown. The serotonergic (5-HT) system may be especially implicated. However, cortical 5-HT2A receptor density in adults with the disorder has not been examined, to the authors' knowledge.METHOD: The authors investigated cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in eight adults with Asperger's syndrome and in 10 healthy comparison subjects with single photon emission computed tomography and the selective 5-HT2A receptor ligand 123I iodinated 4-amino-N-[1-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-4-methyl-4-piperidinyl]-5-iodo-2-methoxybenzamide (123I-5-I-R91150).RESULTS: People with Asperger's syndrome had a significant reduction in cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in the total, anterior, and posterior cingulate; bilaterally in the frontal and superior temporal lobes; and in the left parietal lobe. Also, reduced receptor binding was significantly related to abnormal social communication.CONCLUSIONS: The authors' findings suggest that adults with Asperger's syndrome have abnormalities in cortical 5-HT2A receptor density and that this deficit may underlie some clinical symptoms.",

keywords = "Adult, Asperger Syndrome, Cerebral Cortex, Communication, Functional Laterality, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Iodine Radioisotopes, Male, Parietal Lobe, Piperidines, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A, Social Behavior, Temporal Lobe, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't",

author = "Murphy, {Declan G M} and Eileen Daly and Nicole Schmitz and Fiona Toal and Keiran Murphy and Sarah Curran and Kjell Erlandsson and Jos Eersels and Robert Kerwin and Peter Ell and Michael Travis",

year = "2006",

doi = "10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.934",

language = "English",

volume = "163",

pages = "934--936",

journal = "The American Journal of Psychiatry",

issn = "0002-953X",

publisher = "American Psychiatric Association",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cortical serotonin 5-HT2A receptor binding and social communication in adults with Asperger's syndrome

T2 - an in vivo SPECT study

AU - Murphy, Declan G M

AU - Daly, Eileen

AU - Schmitz, Nicole

AU - Toal, Fiona

AU - Murphy, Keiran

AU - Curran, Sarah

AU - Erlandsson, Kjell

AU - Eersels, Jos

AU - Kerwin, Robert

AU - Ell, Peter

AU - Travis, Michael

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - OBJECTIVE: The cause of autistic spectrum disorder (i.e., autism and Asperger's syndrome) is unknown. The serotonergic (5-HT) system may be especially implicated. However, cortical 5-HT2A receptor density in adults with the disorder has not been examined, to the authors' knowledge.METHOD: The authors investigated cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in eight adults with Asperger's syndrome and in 10 healthy comparison subjects with single photon emission computed tomography and the selective 5-HT2A receptor ligand 123I iodinated 4-amino-N-[1-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-4-methyl-4-piperidinyl]-5-iodo-2-methoxybenzamide (123I-5-I-R91150).RESULTS: People with Asperger's syndrome had a significant reduction in cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in the total, anterior, and posterior cingulate; bilaterally in the frontal and superior temporal lobes; and in the left parietal lobe. Also, reduced receptor binding was significantly related to abnormal social communication.CONCLUSIONS: The authors' findings suggest that adults with Asperger's syndrome have abnormalities in cortical 5-HT2A receptor density and that this deficit may underlie some clinical symptoms.

AB - OBJECTIVE: The cause of autistic spectrum disorder (i.e., autism and Asperger's syndrome) is unknown. The serotonergic (5-HT) system may be especially implicated. However, cortical 5-HT2A receptor density in adults with the disorder has not been examined, to the authors' knowledge.METHOD: The authors investigated cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in eight adults with Asperger's syndrome and in 10 healthy comparison subjects with single photon emission computed tomography and the selective 5-HT2A receptor ligand 123I iodinated 4-amino-N-[1-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-4-methyl-4-piperidinyl]-5-iodo-2-methoxybenzamide (123I-5-I-R91150).RESULTS: People with Asperger's syndrome had a significant reduction in cortical 5-HT2A receptor binding in the total, anterior, and posterior cingulate; bilaterally in the frontal and superior temporal lobes; and in the left parietal lobe. Also, reduced receptor binding was significantly related to abnormal social communication.CONCLUSIONS: The authors' findings suggest that adults with Asperger's syndrome have abnormalities in cortical 5-HT2A receptor density and that this deficit may underlie some clinical symptoms.

KW - Adult

KW - Asperger Syndrome

KW - Cerebral Cortex

KW - Communication

KW - Functional Laterality

KW - Gyrus Cinguli

KW - Humans

KW - Iodine Radioisotopes

KW - Male

KW - Parietal Lobe

KW - Piperidines

KW - Psychiatric Status Rating Scales

KW - Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A

KW - Social Behavior

KW - Temporal Lobe

KW - Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.934

DO - 10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.934

M3 - Article

C2 - 16648340

SN - 0002-953X

VL - 163

SP - 934

EP - 936

JO - The American Journal of Psychiatry

JF - The American Journal of Psychiatry

IS - 5

ER -

Cortical serotonin 5-HT2A receptor binding and social communication in adults with Asperger's syndrome: an in vivo SPECT study

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