Cargando…

Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism

Electrophysiological findings implicate site-specific impairment of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in autism. This invites hypothetical consideration of a large role for this small brainstem structure as the basis for seemingly disjointed behavioral and somatic features of autism. The NTS is t...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: McGinnis, Woody R., Audhya, Tapan, Edelson, Stephen M.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3881151/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24336025
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10126955
_version_ 1782298173506584576
author McGinnis, Woody R.
Audhya, Tapan
Edelson, Stephen M.
author_facet McGinnis, Woody R.
Audhya, Tapan
Edelson, Stephen M.
author_sort McGinnis, Woody R.
collection PubMed
description Electrophysiological findings implicate site-specific impairment of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in autism. This invites hypothetical consideration of a large role for this small brainstem structure as the basis for seemingly disjointed behavioral and somatic features of autism. The NTS is the brain’s point of entry for visceral afference, its relay for vagal reflexes, and its integration center for autonomic control of circulatory, immunological, gastrointestinal, and laryngeal function. The NTS facilitates normal cerebrovascular perfusion, and is the seminal point for an ascending noradrenergic system that modulates many complex behaviors. Microvascular configuration predisposes the NTS to focal hypoxia. A subregion—the “pNTS”—permits exposure to all blood-borne neurotoxins, including those that do not readily transit the blood-brain barrier. Impairment of acetylcholinesterase (mercury and cadmium cations, nitrates/nitrites, organophosphates, monosodium glutamate), competition for hemoglobin (carbon monoxide, nitrates/nitrites), and higher blood viscosity (net systemic oxidative stress) are suggested to potentiate microcirculatory insufficiency of the NTS, and thus autism.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-3881151
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2013
publisher MDPI
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-38811512014-01-06 Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism McGinnis, Woody R. Audhya, Tapan Edelson, Stephen M. Int J Environ Res Public Health Concept Paper Electrophysiological findings implicate site-specific impairment of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in autism. This invites hypothetical consideration of a large role for this small brainstem structure as the basis for seemingly disjointed behavioral and somatic features of autism. The NTS is the brain’s point of entry for visceral afference, its relay for vagal reflexes, and its integration center for autonomic control of circulatory, immunological, gastrointestinal, and laryngeal function. The NTS facilitates normal cerebrovascular perfusion, and is the seminal point for an ascending noradrenergic system that modulates many complex behaviors. Microvascular configuration predisposes the NTS to focal hypoxia. A subregion—the “pNTS”—permits exposure to all blood-borne neurotoxins, including those that do not readily transit the blood-brain barrier. Impairment of acetylcholinesterase (mercury and cadmium cations, nitrates/nitrites, organophosphates, monosodium glutamate), competition for hemoglobin (carbon monoxide, nitrates/nitrites), and higher blood viscosity (net systemic oxidative stress) are suggested to potentiate microcirculatory insufficiency of the NTS, and thus autism. MDPI 2013-12-11 2013-12 /pmc/articles/PMC3881151/ /pubmed/24336025 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10126955 Text en © 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
spellingShingle Concept Paper
McGinnis, Woody R.
Audhya, Tapan
Edelson, Stephen M.
Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism
title Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism
title_full Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism
title_fullStr Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism
title_full_unstemmed Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism
title_short Proposed Toxic and Hypoxic Impairment of a Brainstem Locus in Autism
title_sort proposed toxic and hypoxic impairment of a brainstem locus in autism
topic Concept Paper
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3881151/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24336025
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10126955
work_keys_str_mv AT mcginniswoodyr proposedtoxicandhypoxicimpairmentofabrainstemlocusinautism
AT audhyatapan proposedtoxicandhypoxicimpairmentofabrainstemlocusinautism
AT edelsonstephenm proposedtoxicandhypoxicimpairmentofabrainstemlocusinautism