Neural Excitation/Inhibition Ratio Augments the Phenotypic Classification of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are considered separate clinical entities, yet evidence suggests overlap in symptoms and neuropathology. Neural excitation/inhibition (E/I) ratio, indexing local excitatory/inhibitory synaptic activity, is elevated in both groups relative to neurotypical (NT) controls. We aimed to (1) quantify E/I ratio group differences, and (2) assess its value for differential diagnosis related to dimensional phenotypic assessment.