Data from the Genetic Intelligence Project (GIP) point to a crucial difference in the balance between glutamate and GABA between autistic individuals and gifted individuals without a spectrum disorder diagnosis.
In individuals with autism, we observe a clearer tendency toward inhibitory imbalance, that is, there is a more intense glutamatergic discharge with less effective inhibitory response via GABA. This asymmetry favors the formation of hyperexcitable networks, especially in sensory and associative areas, which is directly related to the higher prevalence of epileptic seizures in individuals with ASD. This relationship is already well described in the neurological literature and is confirmed in the genomic patterns analyzed in the GIP, highlighting variants in genes such as GRIN2A, SLC6A1, and GABRB3, which regulate the sensitivity and synaptic reuptake of these neurotransmitters.
In contrast, gifted individuals without autistic traits present a more finely tuned balance between glutamate excitability and GABA inhibitory modulation. This generates more stable functional plasticity, with targeted hyperconnectivity and synaptic efficiency without triggering states of pathological hyperexcitability. “The elevated plasticity in these cases appears to have more efficient homeostatic control, with a lower risk of synaptic disorganization or epileptic circuits,” observes Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela.
Therefore, the critical difference lies not in the absolute volume of glutamate, but in the capacity for functional inhibitory modulation. In autistic individuals, GABA fails to rebalance excitation in the appropriate time and space. In typically gifted individuals, this regulation is more precise, which favors a highly functional and neurologically stable brain.
