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Abstract
Autism is characterized by abnormal prefrontal brain activation during cognitive control, a potential biomarker of repetitive behaviors. In this proof-of-principle study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine brain activity during an oddball task in two high-functioning males with autism before and after 12 weeks of treatment with citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. One participant showed marked reductions in repetitive behaviors whereas the other showed mild worsening. Brain activation in relevant prefrontal regions increased in only the participant whose repetitive behavior symptoms improved. These findings suggest that fMRI may elucidate potential mechanisms of action of targeted autism interventions.
Acknowledgments
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. The authors would like to thank Josh Bizzell, Chris Petty, Todd Harshbarger, and Syam Gadde for assistance with image analysis, MRI technologists Susan Music and Natalie Goutkin for assistance with data acquisition, and Jamie Clary and Vicki Harper for assistance with clinical data collection. This research was supported by the Dana Foundation (Dichter), a career development award from UNC-Chapel Hill, NIH/NCRR K12 RR023248 (Orringer), and NIMH K23 MH081285 (Dichter). Assistance for this study was provided by the Neuroimaging Core of the UNC Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center.