Connecting Electroencephalography Profiles with the Gamma-Amino-Butyric Acid (GABA) Neuropathology of Autism as a Prelude to Treatment

Abstract

The nervous system has the ability to adjust in the face of disease by reorganizing its molecular, cellular, and systems function for survival through the mechanism of neuroplasticity. Recently, the National Institutes of Health Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, USA, gathered experts in various fields of neural disorders to look into the translation of neuroplasticity and circuit retraining research: the message is that the future ahead is very bright for effective clinical therapies (Cramer et al., 2011). When research studies are driven by basic science conceived alongside therapeutic disciplines designed in a congruent manner, there is the exciting potential that the innate mechanism of neuroplasticity could be shaped more precisely and more thoughtfully than is currently available. The vision for the future is patient-centered therapy aimed at the rewiring of brain circuits for successful function with long term changes in the molecular and genetic level. The transcriptional machinery is a site where neuropathology can occur. Alterations in gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) through transcriptional machinery may be one of the factors that underlie the neuropathology of autism. The level of transcription via the synthesizing enzymes for GABA plus the neuroplasticity response of interneurons in the brain will be discussed in this chapter. The implication on the afferent-efferent circuitry in the cerebellum with the promising application of a neuropathological understanding of autism to treatment and behavior will be presented. Autism is not a single disease entity. It is often referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The condition is behaviorally defined, described, and diagnosed by a triad of deficits which include the following characteristics: impaired social interaction, impaired communication, restricted interests with stereotyped and/or repetitive behaviors. Another behavioral feature is sensory input sensitivity. Autistic individuals are hypersensitive to stimuli regarding sound, light, touch, smell, temperature, and pressure. These sensations can limit the individual’s ability adapt to the regular noise and activity levels typically encountered in shopping malls, school classrooms, and other public gathering sites.