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Dr. Chugani studies serotonin synthesis in children with autism and TSC. |
Using positron emission tomography (PET), Dr. Diane Chugani made an important discovery about autistic children: changes in serotonin synthesis which occur with age in non-autistic children are not present in autistic children. She therefore believes serotonin synthesis may play a role in the pathophysiology of autism, a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a spectrum of abnormal behaviors including profound impairment in social interaction and communication, repetitive patterns of behavior, and motor abnormalities.
Diane Chugani, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics, has been awarded two National Institutes of Health grants to measure serotonin synthesis in autistic and epileptic patients, particularly during periods of early childhood when the developing brain makes large amounts of serotonin. The first grant will use PET technology to trace serotonin synthesis within the whole brain and in focal brain regions to identify the neurochemical pathways associated with autism. "We think this research will lead us to pharmacological treatments whereby drugs that mimic serotonin might be used to reduce the severity of autistic characteristics," said Dr. Chugani.
The second grant will use PET to study tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder that causes tumorous growths in multiple organs including the brain, skin, heart and kidney. More than 80 percent of TSC patients simultaneously develop epilepsy due to brain cortical lesions, and serotonin synthesis is increased in these lesions. Dr. Chugani and her colleagues can then pinpoint the origin of epileptic seizures by locating sites of increased serotonin uptake. "In addition, 30 percent of TSC patients are autistic," said Dr. Chugani. "We are interested in testing whether autistic children with TSC show abnormalities in serotonin synthesis with age."
With collaborators Otto Muzik, PhD, and Harry Chugani, MD, Dr. Chugani hopes to trace the significance of serotonin synthesis in young brains.