Hormonal disorders in autism spectrum disorders.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurobehavioral condition characterized by disruption of behavioral and emotional patterns in individuals with this condition. Given that various environmental and genetic factors play a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of ASD, it can be said that ASD is a multifaceted disease. This study used scientific databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Semantic Scholar. In this review, we aimed to select manuscripts based on our field and relevant to the topic of our article. Emerging studies have shown that many neural, anatomical, and chemical factors play a role in the development of ASD. In this regard, an increasing body of studies has pointed out the relationship between chemical factors, including hormones, which play an important role in ASD. These hormones include melatonin, serotonin, thyroid, oxytocin, vasopressin, insulin-like growth hormone (IGF-1), etc. For instance, IGF-1 levels are low in ASD individuals, or melatonin levels are reduced in ASD individuals. Therefore, with take into account these findings, in this review, we decided to check over the association of these hormones to ASD and have a concise overview of their potential as therapeutic solutions to reduce the effects of ASD.