IMAGING STUDY
A Study of Serotonin
Function in Parents with Autistic Children
and
in High Functioning
Autistic Adults
Principal Investigator: Jeremy Goldberg MD
Co-Investigators: Claude Nahmias PhD; Peter Szatmari
MD; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum MD
This study involves
the use of imaging tools such as Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) and
Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) to measure a number
of different aspects of brain function and brain
structure in parents of children with autism.
The study is
also examining high functioning (HF) adults
with
autism using the same tools.
This research is exciting in that
it allows us, for the first time, to examine brain
function
and structure in live humans. In particular,
we are
now able to investigate serotonin (5HT) function
in the relatives of children with autism.
Preliminary
data show that brain serotonin receptor density
is diminished in 14 of 19
regions sampled
in the parent group.
Participate in this study
|
