Electroencephalographic Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characteristics and Therapeutic Implications
Francesco Precenzano,
Lucia Parisi,
Valentina Lanzara,
Luigi Vetri,
Francesca Felicia Operto,
Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino,
Maria Ruberto,
Giovanni Messina,
Maria Cristina Risoleo,
Claudia Santoro,
Ilaria Bitetti,
Rosa Marotta
Affiliations
Francesco Precenzano
Epilepsy and EEG lab for Developmental Age; Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Lucia Parisi
Inter-University Group for Study and Research on Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Valentina Lanzara
Epilepsy and EEG lab for Developmental Age; Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Luigi Vetri
Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Francesca Felicia Operto
Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino
Inter-University Group for Study and Research on Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Maria Ruberto
Centro Pro Juventute Minerva SRL, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Giovanni Messina
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Maria Cristina Risoleo
Epilepsy and EEG lab for Developmental Age; Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Claudia Santoro
Epilepsy and EEG lab for Developmental Age; Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Ilaria Bitetti
Epilepsy and EEG lab for Developmental Age; Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Rosa Marotta
Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
A large body of literature reports the higher prevalence of epilepsy in subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to the general population. Similarly, several studies report an increased rate of Subclinical Electroencephalographic Abnormalities (SEAs) in seizure-free patients with ASD rather than healthy controls, although with varying percentages. SEAs include both several epileptiform discharges and different non-epileptiform electroencephalographic abnormalities. They are more frequently associated with lower intellectual functioning, more serious dysfunctional behaviors, and they are often sign of severer forms of autism. However, SEAs clinical implications remain controversial, and they could represent an epiphenomenon of the neurochemical alterations of autism etiology. This paper provides an overview of the major research findings with two main purposes: to better delineate the state-of-the-art about EEG abnormalities in ASD and to find evidence for or against appropriateness of SEAs pharmacological treatment in ASD.
