Is Birth a Critical Period in the Pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorders?

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Neurosci

Specialty Neurology

Date 2015 Jul 9

PMID 26152864

Citations 50

Authors

Yehezkel Ben-Ari

Affiliations

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Abstract

Birth is associated with a neuroprotective, oxytocin-mediated abrupt excitatory-to-inhibitory GABA shift that is abolished in autism, and its restoration attenuates the disorder in offspring. In this Opinion article, I discuss the links between birth-related stressful mechanisms, persistent excitatory GABA actions, perturbed network oscillations and autism. I propose that birth (parturition) is a critical period that confirms, attenuates or aggravates the deleterious effects of intrauterine genetic or environmental insults.

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