Neurochemistry in the Pathophysiology of Autism.

Significant progress has been made in the search for underlying pathophysiologic mechanismsin autism over the past 50 years. The cause of the disorder, however, remains largely unknown. Thisarticle reviews neurochemical contributions to the pathophysiology of autism with a focus on monoamines,glutamate/γ-aminobutyric acid systems, and neuropeptides. As these efforts move forward, itwill be important to begin to integrate genetic studies with those involving neuroimaging and post-mortemresearch in each of these 3 areas, as well as with pharmacologic treatment approaches