Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Exploring Gluten Sensitivity and Changes in Glutamate and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Plasma Levels

Background Individuals with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) were reported to have genetic variations related to gluten sensitivity and some neuroanatomic changes, which could be associated with alterations in neurotransmitters levels such as glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The aim was to measure the levels of antigliadin immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody, glutamate, and GABA in the plasma of children with CAS compared with children with delayed language development (DLD) and neurotypical (NT) children. Methods The participants (N = 120) were in three groups: Group I for CAS (N = 30), Group II for DLD (N = 60), and Group III for NT (N = 30). The abilities of children in Groups I and II were evaluated. The plasma levels of antigliadin IgA, glutamate, and GABA were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The intelligence quotient and expressive language age in Group I were low compared with Group II (P = 0.001; 0.004). The levels of antigliadin IgA and glutamate in Group I were higher compared with the other two groups, whereas the level of GABA was lower (P < 0.0001). An imbalance between glutamate and GABA was found in Group I. In Group II, no measures differed from NTs except lower GABA levels (P = 0.0007). Conclusions The elevated levels of antigliadin IgA antibody and glutamate demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity, differentiating children with CAS from children with DLD and NT children. The low levels of GABA contributed to the imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters’ levels detected in children with CAS.