Abstract
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is a second messenger involved in many processes including mnemonic processing and anxiety. Memory deficits and anxiety are noted in the phenotype of fragile X (FX), the most common heritable cause of mental retardation and autism. Here we review reported observations of altered cAMP cascade function in FX and autism. Cyclic AMP is a potentially useful biochemical marker to distinguish autism comorbid with FX from autism per se and the cAMP cascade may be a viable therapeutic target for both FX and autism.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1533-1543 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Autism
- Cyclic AMP
- FMR1
- FMRP
- Fragile X
- Signal transduction
- cAMP
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience