Autism cholinergic system

Recent research has indicated select abnormalities in the cholinergic system (Perry et al., 2001). Although previously unexamined neurochemically, there was an indication that the cholinergic system may be involved in autism, with abnormalities reported in neurons in the basal forebrain (Bauman Kemper, 1994). Perry et al. (2001) found extensive loss of high affinity nicotinic receptors from the neocortex (frontal and parietal), and from the cerebellum (Lee, et al., in preparation). Nicotinic receptors are implicated in attention, and also consciousness as many general anaesthetics block the receptor channel (Chapter 9). 

The cholinergic system in autism has been investigated in a number of post-mortem studies (Table 1). In the parietal and frontal cortices of autistic adult subjects, levels of nicotinic receptors were 65-73% lower than in controls (Perry et al., 2001). In the parietal cortex specifically, there were lower levels of a4 and f)2 nicotinic receptor subunits, the high-affinity-type nicotinic receptor (Fig. 4). These abnormalities... 

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