Figure 1. Maintaining a balance of excitatory and inhibitory input in neurons.

An imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs to neurons in certain regions of the brain has been linked to neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is not possible to measure such imbalances directly, so it would be useful to have a proxy marker. Based on computer simulations and experiments on genetically manipulated mice (top), Trakoshis et al. found that a metric called the Hurst exponent, which can be determined using non-invasive electrical and magnetic measurements, can provide information on imbalances between excitatory and inhibitory input. In particular, an increase in excitation (E) led to a decrease in the Hurst exponent (H). Experiments on autistic and typically developing (TD) men and women show that: i) the value of H for men with autism is much lower than the value for TD men; ii) the value of H for women with autism is higher than the value for TD women; iii) in women with autism, the value of H further correlated with social behavior.