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繁 Assistant Professor Yang-Teng Fan from the Graduate Institute of Medicine at Yuan Ze University, together with a cross-university research team from Taipei Medical University, National Chengchi University, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, recently published their latest findings in NeuroImage, a leading international journal in neuroscience. The study was the first to systematically reveal the significant relationship between the brain’s excitatory–inhibitory balance (E–I balance) and autistic traits as well as sensory sensitivity.
The research team used Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) to measure concentrations of glutamate/glutamine (Glx) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) across multiple brain regions in 92 healthy young adults. The Glx/GABA ratio served as an indicator of the brain’s excitatory–inhibitory balance. The findings demonstrated that autistic tendencies and sensory processing characteristics were not limited to clinical cases but might exist as a continuum of neurobiological features within the general population.
Further analysis showed that participants with a higher Glx/GABA ratio in the prefrontal cortex tended to exhibit more pronounced autistic traits and sensory sensitivity. Through mediation modeling, the team discovered that this neurochemical indicator played a key bridging role between sensory sensitivity and autistic tendencies.
Assistant Professor Yang-Teng Fan stated that this research highlighted the dynamic neurochemical mechanisms underlying sensory processing and social behavior, thereby deepening the understanding of the neurophysiological basis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He noted that the degree of Glx/GABA balance could potentially serve as an important biomarker for early detection and clinical intervention in autism in the future.
This research was supported by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), with technical assistance and professional guidance provided by the Taiwan Mind & Brain Imaging Center.
