PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Alterations in dopamine signalling have been implied in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and these could be associated with the risk of developing a psychotic disorder in ASD adults. Negative social experiences and feelings of social defeat might result in an increase in dopamine functioning. However, few studies examined dopamine functioning in vivo in ASD. Here we examine whether striatal dopamine synthesis capacity is increased in ASD and associated with social defeat. Forty-four unmedicated, non-psychotic adults diagnosed with ASD and 22 matched controls, aged 18-30 years, completed a dynamic 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]-fluoro-L-phenylalanine positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]-FDOPA PET/CT) scan to measure presynaptic dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum. We considered unwanted loneliness, ascertained using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, as primary measure of social defeat. We found no statistically significant difference in striatal dopamine synthesis capacity between ASD and controls (F1,60 = 0.026, p = 0.87). In ASD, striatal dopamine synthesis capacity was not significantly associated with loneliness (β = 0.01, p = 0.96). Secondary analyses showed comparable results when examining the associative, limbic, and sensorimotor sub-regions of the striatum (all p-values > 0.05). Results were similar before and after adjusting for age, sex, smoking-status, and PET/CT-scanner-type. In conclusion, in unmedicated, non-psychotic adults with ASD, striatal dopamine synthesis capacity is not increased and not associated with social defeat.
摘要：
多巴胺信号的改变已暗示自闭症谱系障碍（ASD），这些可能与ASD成人患精神病的风险有关。消极的社会经历和社会失败的感觉可能会导致多巴胺功能的增加。然而,很少有研究检查ASD体内的多巴胺功能。在这里，我们研究了ASD中纹状体多巴胺合成能力是否增加以及与社会失败有关。四十四人没有用药，诊断为ASD的非精神病成年人和22个匹配的对照，18-30岁,完成了动态3,4-二羟基-6-[18F]-氟-L-苯丙氨酸正电子发射断层扫描/计算机断层扫描（[18F]-FDOPAPET/CT）扫描，以测量纹状体中突触前多巴胺的合成能力。我们认为不必要的孤独，使用加州大学洛杉矶分校孤独量表确定，作为社会失败的主要衡量标准。我们发现ASD和对照组之间纹状体多巴胺合成能力没有统计学上的显着差异（F1,60=0.026，p=0.87）。在ASD,纹状体多巴胺合成能力与孤独感没有显着相关（β=0.01，p=0.96）。二次分析在检查联想时显示出可比的结果，边缘,和纹状体的感觉运动子区域（所有p值>0.05）。调整年龄前后结果相似，性别,吸烟状况,和PET/CT扫描仪类型。总之,在未经药物治疗的情况下，患有ASD的非精神病成年人，纹状体多巴胺合成能力没有增加，也与社会失败无关。
