Autism Studies and Related Medical Conditions, January 2009 - TACA

Viruses in autism
195. Ghaziuddin M et al. Autistic symptoms following herpes encephalitis. Eur Child
Adolesc Psychiatry. 2002 Jun;11(3):142-6. PMID: 12369775
"Autism is a childhood onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by reciprocal
social deficits, communication impairment, and rigid ritualistic interests, with the onset
almost always before three years of age. Although the etiology of the disorder is
strongly influenced by genes, environmental factors are also important. In this context,
several reports have described its association with known medical conditions, including
infections affecting the central nervous system. In this report, we describe an 11-yearold
Asian youngster who developed the symptoms of autism following an episode of
herpes encephalitis. In contrast to previous similar reports, imaging studies suggested a
predominant involvement of the frontal lobes. At follow-up after three years, he
continued to show the core deficits of autism. This case further supports the role of
environmental factors, such as infections, in the etiology of autism, and suggests that in
a minority of cases, autistic symptoms can develop in later childhood.
196. Gillberg IC. Autistic syndrome with onset at age 31 years: herpes encephalitis as a
possible model for childhood autism. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1991 Oct;33(10):920-4.
PMID: 1743418
197. DeLong GR et al. Acquired reversible autistic syndrome in acute encephalopathic
illness in children. Arch Neurol. 1981 Mar;38(3):191-4. PMID: 6162440
"In seeking the neurologic substrate of the autistic syndrome of childhood, previous
studies have implicated the medial temporal lobe or the ring of mesolimbic cortex
located in the mesial frontal and temporal lobes. During an acute encephalopathic
illness, a clinical picture developed in three children that was consistent with infantile
autism. This development was reversible. It was differentiated from acquired epileptic
aphasia, and the language disorder was differentiated aphasia. One child has rises in
serum herpes simplex titers, and a computerized tomographic (CT) scan revealed an
extensive lesion of the temporal lobes, predominantly on the left. The other two, with
similar clinical syndromes, had normal CT scans, and no etiologic agent was defined.
These cases are examples of an acquired and reversible autistic syndrome in childhood,
emphasizing the clinical similarities to bilateral medial temporal lobe disease as
described in man, including the Kluver-Bucy syndrome seen in postencephalitic as well
as postsurgical states.
198. Gillberg C. Onset at age 14 of a typical autistic syndrome. A case report of a girl
with herpes simplex encephalitis. J Autism Dev Disord. 1986 Sep;16(3):369-75. PMID:
3558293
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