Parkinson’s-like brain abnormalities found in young adults with autism
Study: Dopamine transporter issues may increase risk of developing disease
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- Young autistic adults show Parkinson's-like dopamine transporter abnormalities.
- About one-third of participants had abnormal DaT scans, indicating increased Parkinson's risk.
- Early detection may allow preventative measures and monitoring of brain health.
Young adults with autism may show abnormalities in the activity of dopamine transporters — proteins that recycle dopamine after its release in the brain — that are commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study.
Using dopamine transporter imaging scans, or DaTscan, researchers identified abnormalities in about one-third of the 12 participants with autism, suggesting they may have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s.
“While the loss of these dopamine transporters can be [a biomarker] for Parkinson’s disease, no one had ever thought to look at them in the context of young adults with autism, so hopefully this work can help us explore if there is a potential link going forward,” David Beversdorf, MD, professor and researcher at the University of Missouri, and senior author of the study, said in a university news story. “The earlier we can identify those who might be at greater risk for getting Parkinson’s disease down the road, the sooner we can discuss preventative measures, including whether certain medications could potentially slow down the progression of disease.”
The results were described in a short report, “A Preliminary Investigation of Dopamine Transporter Binding Abnormalities in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder,” published in Autism Research.
Imaging technique visualizes dopamine transporters
Parkinson’s is caused by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, the nerve cells that produce the signaling molecule dopamine, which neurons use to communicate. The loss of these neurons leads to impaired dopamine signaling and ultimately to Parkinson’s symptoms.
Recent research has suggested that people with autism — a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, interaction, and restricted, repetitive behaviors — may have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s, possibly associated with abnormal dopamine activity in the brain.
In this study, researchers assessed dopamine activity in the brains of young adults with autism, using a DaT scan. This imaging technique visualizes dopamine transporters, which return dopamine to dopaminergic neurons after its release in the brain.
“There has been previous work looking into the total amount of dopamine in the brains of people with autism, but we took a new approach by looking at abnormalities in terms of how dopamine is processed … via these dopamine transporters,” Beversdorf said.
This pilot study enrolled 12 young adults with autism, ages 18 to 24 years, at the University of Missouri. Most participants were not taking medication, and only one had a previous history of using medications that reduce dopamine activity.
Since these DaT scans are typically used to diagnose or evaluate older adults with Parkinson’s disease, the appearance of abnormalities in some young adults with autism was very surprising, so we should look into this topic more going forward. While it’s too early to jump to conclusions, hopefully our work raises awareness about the importance of monitoring the brain health of young adults with autism as they age.
Overall, four participants had definite or possibly abnormal dopaminergic signaling in the striatum, a brain region involved in motor control that’s affected in Parkinson’s. In eight patients, the results were deemed normal.
When participants were divided into two groups, based on normal or abnormal DAT signaling, their ages and overall cognitive skills did not differ. In exploratory analysis, those with abnormal DaT scans had higher functional connectivity between the striatum and the paracingulate region, which is believed to contribute to restricted behaviors and social-cognitive difficulties in people with autism.
“Since these DaT scans are typically used to diagnose or evaluate older adults with Parkinson’s disease, the appearance of abnormalities in some young adults with autism was very surprising, so we should look into this topic more going forward,” Beversdorf said. “While it’s too early to jump to conclusions, hopefully our work raises awareness about the importance of monitoring the brain health of young adults with autism as they age.”
