TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood autism
T2 - A circuit syndrome?
AU - Lee, Deborah A.
AU - Lopez-Alberola, Robert
AU - Bhattacharjee, Meena
PY - 2003/3/1
Y1 - 2003/3/1
N2 - BACKGROUND - Autism is a disorder that can lead to life-long disability. Currently, the etiology of autism is unknown, and although there are treatments for some of the behavioral abnormalities, there is no cure. REVIEW SUMMARY - While this article will review the clinical, anatomic, and pathologic features seen in autism, the primary focus will be to present a new and provocative unifying theory regarding the underlying mechanisms causing this disorder. Current research advances, some controversial, will be discussed, and a novel definition of autism as a "circuit syndrome" will be presented. The work elaborated here will tie many of the disparate findings together, based on the idea that autism arises from abnormalities of the cerebellolimbic circuitry. Some of the more alternative theories of autism, such as mercury toxicity, linkage to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, and the use of secretin will be discussed. Finally, pharmacologic treatment options will be reviewed. CONCLUSIONS - Autism is not single disorder but represents dysfunction of the cerebellolimbic circuitry that can arise from many different etiologies.
AB - BACKGROUND - Autism is a disorder that can lead to life-long disability. Currently, the etiology of autism is unknown, and although there are treatments for some of the behavioral abnormalities, there is no cure. REVIEW SUMMARY - While this article will review the clinical, anatomic, and pathologic features seen in autism, the primary focus will be to present a new and provocative unifying theory regarding the underlying mechanisms causing this disorder. Current research advances, some controversial, will be discussed, and a novel definition of autism as a "circuit syndrome" will be presented. The work elaborated here will tie many of the disparate findings together, based on the idea that autism arises from abnormalities of the cerebellolimbic circuitry. Some of the more alternative theories of autism, such as mercury toxicity, linkage to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, and the use of secretin will be discussed. Finally, pharmacologic treatment options will be reviewed. CONCLUSIONS - Autism is not single disorder but represents dysfunction of the cerebellolimbic circuitry that can arise from many different etiologies.
KW - Autism
KW - Cerebellum
KW - Limbic system
KW - Serotonin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037346507&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037346507&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/01.nrl.0000051441.03160.e0
DO - 10.1097/01.nrl.0000051441.03160.e0
M3 - Review article
C2 - 12808372
AN - SCOPUS:0037346507
VL - 9
SP - 99
EP - 109
JO - Neurologist
JF - Neurologist
SN - 1074-7931
IS - 2
ER -