Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Jan 7;10(1):7-16.
doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v10.i1.7.

Autism and carnitine: A possible link

Caroline Demarquoy  1 , Jean Demarquoy  2
Affiliations
Review

Autism and carnitine: A possible link

Caroline Demarquoy et al. World J Biol Chem. .

Abstract

Patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present deficits in social interactions and communication, they also show limited and stereotypical patterns of behaviors and interests. The pathophysiological bases of ASD have not been defined yet. Many factors seem to be involved in the onset of this disorder. These include genetic and environmental factors, but autism is not linked to a single origin, only. Autism onset can be connected with various factors such as metabolic disorders: including carnitine deficiency. Carnitine is a derivative of two amino acid lysine and methionine. Carnitine is a cofactor for a large family of enzymes: the carnitine acyltransferases. Through their action these enzymes (and L-carnitine) are involved in energy production and metabolic homeostasis. Some people with autism (less than 20%) seem to have L-carnitine metabolism disorders and for these patients, a dietary supplementation with L-carnitine is beneficial. This review summarizes the available information on this topic.

Keywords: Autism; Carnitine; Metabolism; Neurodevelopmental; Pathophysiological bases.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: Each author declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the major symptoms observed in autism spectrum disorders according to the degree of severity of the disease. ASD: Autism spectrum disorders.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summarized biosynthetic pathway for L-carnitine. The names of the enzymes are on the right part of the figure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
    1. Lincoln AJ, Courchesne E, Kilman BA, Elmasian R, Allen M. A study of intellectual abilities in high-functioning people with autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 1988;18:505–524. - PubMed
    1. Baron-Cohen S, Leslie AM, Frith U. Does the autistic child have a "theory of mind"? Cognition. 1985;21:37–46. - PubMed
    1. Happé F, Frith U. The weak coherence account: detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord. 2006;36:5–25. - PubMed
    1. Bogdashina O. Sensory perceptual issues in autism and asperger syndrome: different sensory experiences-different perceptual worlds. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016.

LinkOut - more resources