Gastrointestinal dysfunction in autistic spectrum disorder and therapeutic possibilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2019.v9.46Keywords:
Gastrointestinal disorders, autism spectrum disorder, dietAbstract
Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by social deficits, language impairments, and repetitive behaviors with restricted interests. Gastrointestinal disorders are common in children with ASD, and studies have suggested that these changes may interfere with pathogenesis and prognosis in these individuals. The most common symptoms are chronic diarrhea, constipation, abdominal discomfort, gastroesophageal reflux and food intolerance. Gastrointestinal dysfunctions may manifest only by behavioral changes and thus interfere with the functioning of the individual, and may also affect the family relationship, being determinants of quality of life in these individuals. These changes may manifest as self- and hetero-aggression, as well as sleep disturbance or irritability. Due to the social interaction difficulties and speech alterations observed in individuals with ASD, in some cases gastrointestinal disorders are not recognized by the medical team, and behavioral changes are exclusively attributed to ASD, leading to treatment failure. Psychopharmaceuticals used to treat behavioral changes in ASD patients, such as risperidone, may also contribute to altering these children’s dietary patterns and gastrointestinal problems. Multidisciplinary followup is important in order to optimize and ensure earlier diagnosis and identify gastrointestinal problems, thus establishing individualized treatment and avoiding future limitations.
Downloads
Metrics
References
Tamanaha AC, Perissinoto J, Chiari BM. Uma breve revisão histórica sobre a construção dos conceitos do autismo infantil e da síndrome de Asperger. Rev Soc Bras Fonoaudiol. 2008;13:296-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-80342008000300015
Associação Americana de Psiquiatria. Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Transtornos Mentais, 5ª edição (DSM-5). Porto Alegre: Artmed; 2014.
Kawicka A, Regulska-Ilow B. How nutriti onal status, diet and dietary supplements can aff ect auti sm. A review. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2013;64:1-12.
Tschinkel PFS, Consolo LZZ. Avaliação das concentrações plasmáticas dos elementos traço cobre, zinco e selênio em crianças com transtorno do espectro autista [dissertação]. Campo Grande: Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul; 2014.
Pinho MA, Silva LR. Manifestações digestórias em portadores de transtornos do espectro autístico necessidade de ampliar as perguntas e respostas. R Ci Med Biol. 2011;10:304-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9771/cmbio.v10i3.5894
Vuong HE, Hsiao EY. Emerging roles for the gut microbiome in Auti sm spectrum disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2017;81:411-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.08.024
Wasilewska J, Klukowski M. Gastrointesti nal symptoms and auti sm spectrum disorder: links and risks – a possible new overlap syndrome. Pediatric Health Med Ther. 2015;6:153-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/PHMT.S85717
Campbell DB, Buie TM, Winter H, Bauman M, Sutcliff e JS, Perrin JM, et al. Disti nct geneti c risk based on associati on of MET in families with cooccurring auti sm and gastrointesti nal conditi ons. Pediatrics. 2009;123:1018-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-0819
Ibrahim SH, Voigt RG, Katusic SK, Weaver AL, Barbaresi WJ. Incidence of gastrointesti nal symptoms in children with auti sm: populati onbased study. Pediatrics. 2009;124; 680-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-2933
Buie T, Campbell DB, Fuchs GJ 3rd, Furuta GT, Levy J, Vandewater J, et al. Evaluati on, diagnosis, and treatment of gastrointesti nal disorders in individuals with ASDs: a consensus report. Pediatrics. 2010;125 Suppl 1:S1-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1878C
Cubala-Kucharska M. The review of most frequently occurring medical disorders relatedto etiology of autism and methods of treatment. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2010;70:141-6.
Adams JB, Johansen LJ, Powell LD, Quig D, Rubin RA. Gastrointestinal flora and gastrointestinal status in children with autism--comparisons to typical children and correlation with autism severity. BMC Gastroenterol. 2011;11:22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-230X-11-22
Pessoa Cm, Nunes RM. Transtorno do espectro do autismo e permeabilidade intestinal: influências da nutrição [monografia]. Juiz de fora: Faculdade de Nutrição, na Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora; 2014.
Ristori MV, Quagliariello A, Reddel S, Ianiro G, Vicari S, Gasbarrini A, et al. Autism, gastrointestinal symptoms and modulation of gut microbiota by nutritional interventions. Nutrients. 2019;11:11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112812
Abdelrahman HM, Sherief LM, Alghobashy AA, Abdel Salam SM, Hashim HM, Abdel Fattah NR, et al. Association of 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphisms with gastrointestinal disorders in Egyptian children with autistic disorder. Res Dev Disabil. 2015;36C:485-90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.10.023
Ng QX, Loke W, Venkatanarayanan N, Lim DY, Soh AY, Yeo Ws. A systematic review of the role of prebiotics and probiotics in autism spectrum disorders. Medicina (Kaunas). 2019;55:129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55050129
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Conference Proceedings Volume
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Debates em Psiquiatria allows the author (s) to keep their copyrights unrestricted. Allows the author (s) to retain their publication rights without restriction. Authors should ensure that the article is an original work without fabrication, fraud or plagiarism; does not infringe any copyright or right of ownership of any third party. Authors should also ensure that each one complies with the authorship requirements as recommended by the ICMJE and understand that if the article or part of it is flawed or fraudulent, each author shares responsibility.
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) - Debates em Psiquiatria is governed by the licencse CC-By-NC
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.