Michelle Dawson posts
Structured cited links
Jürgen Germann, Flavia Venetucci Gouveia, Helena Brentani, Saashi A. Bedford, Stephanie Tullo, M. Mallar Chakravarty, Gabriel A. Devenyi (2021). Involvement of the habenula in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder. openRxiv.
Abstract
Abstract The habenula is a small epithalamic structure that has rich widespread connections to multiple cortical, subcortical and brainstem regions. It has been identified as the central structure modulating the reward value of social interactions, behavioral adaptation, sensory integration and circadian rhythm. Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by social communication deficits, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, and frequently associated with altered sensory perception and mood and sleep disorders. The habenula is implicated in all these behaviors and results of preclinical studies suggest a possible involvement of the habenula in the pathophysiology of this disorder. Using anatomical magnetic resonance imaging and automated segmentation we show that the habenula is significantly enlarged in children and adults with ASD compared to age matched controls. The present study is first to provide evidence of the involvement of the Hb in the pathophysiology of ASD.
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