Lien vers Pubmed [PMID] – 19718887
Bull. Acad. Natl. Med. 2009 Feb;193(2):299-304; discussion 304-5
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect at least 1/200 individuals. They are characterized by impaired communication skills and social interaction, as well as restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behaviours. Recent studies point to a role of a synaptic pathway, including synaptic cell adhesion molecules (neuroligins and neurexins) and scaffolding proteins (SHANK3). Abnormal synapse formation/maintenance and an imbalance between GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic currents seem to be involved in the etiology of ASD.