Abstract
It has been 50 years since elevated levels of serotonin (5-HT) were identified in the blood of some individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) yet most research on genetics, behavior, imaging, and neurochemistry has occurred in the last decade. With technological advances occurring in every aspect of research, it is now apparent that there are abnormalities in a variety of neurotransmitter systems, but central changes are directed toward specific types of transporters and/or receptors within each system. Three major systems are discussed in this chapter: GABA, glutamate, and 5-HT, and the chapter focuses on experimental evidence that implicates features of each system that potentially affect the excitatory:inhibitory (E/I) balance in the ASD brain. Disruption of the E/I balance in the direction of either decreased inhibition or elevated excitatory activity, or both, may contribute to altered connectivity and give rise to the ASD phenotype. Modern methods are directed toward increasing our understanding of the etiologies of the disorder.
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