Brain Glutathione and GABA+ levels in autistic children.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication challenges and repetitive behaviors. Altered glutathione (GSH, an important antioxidant and neuromodulator) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter) levels have been proposed as potential contributors to the biology underlying ASD. Here, we used advanced edited Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) to measure levels of these low-concentration metabolites in four brain regions of a pediatric cohort. Contrary to our hypothesis, no significant difference was found between ASD and control subjects in either GSH or GABA levels in any brain region.