The scientific community has believed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to be a neurobiological developmental condition that negatively affects social interactions, communication and sensory processing. Recent efforts to help better understand this condition have been made that can influence how we can manage and live with ASD.
As of now, many doctors and scientists have looked into the more prominent contributing factors of ASD. The latest research indicates that areas of investigation for this neurotype is directed towards gene variants, toxin exposure, microbiome intestinal (gut imbalances) and neurological factors.
Currently autism is on the rise. As of March of 2021, according to the CDC, 1 in 54( up from 1 in 59) 8 year old children are autistic.
There is a CDC funded study currently underway whos aim is to learn more of the possible links to autism.
Investigating ASD Factors
The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology network has several locations in the US devoted to putting together studies for further inquiry of ASD causes in 2-5 year old children. The Study to Explore Early Development is one such effort that is a collaboration of six study sites here in the US. The goal is to find what health conditions are experienced in both autistic and neurotypical children and how to determine the factors that could contribute to developing ASD.
Another objective of the study is to examine the behavioral and physical nature of autism and other neuro developmental issues.
The published research in the journal Epidemiology has already found a link between a mother’s exposure to ozone pollution during the third trimester of pregnancy and developing ASD.
It also noted that an increased likelihood of having a ASD diagnosis was found when during an infant’s first year was exposed to another form of air pollution called particulate matter.
Newest Gene Research
Another area of research on adult and child autism includes delving deeper into the role of how gene variation can impact an autism diagnosis.
It was found that there were 53 genes identified as possible links to autism as apposed to other neurodevelopmental conditions. These gene connections were mainly discovered in the cerebral cortex of the brain. The region associated with executive functioning that controls reasoning and other complex behaviors.
Researchers identify specific gene variants and study them to learn if they are responsible for turning other genes associated with autism on and off. Examining how genes affect certain neuronal pathways within the brain could uncover more possible causes for autism.
In another study of DNA, involving over 35,000 people worldwide, in which 11,986 autistic people were participants. Researchers identified 102 genes linked to a higher probability of developing ASD.
The findings found that the individuals who carried the ASD- specific gene variant had an increased intellectual capacity from the autistic individuals who didn’t have the gene.
Gut Microbiome and ASD
The study of the gut microbiome and it’s relationship to the development of ASD is another area of interest. There has been several studies through the years that link ASD to imbalances in our gastrointestinal tract. The evidence of balancing the gut microbes with a wider selection of healthy bacteria as a treatment for ASD is growing within the scientific community.
The journal Microbiome, published a 2017 study showing how improving gut diversity with microbiota transfer therapy (MTT) in autistic children improved symptoms and behaviors associated with ASD.
It was observed that individuals treated with MTT had a decrease of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and better gut microflora. Which led to an improvement in social skills, language and behaviors.
After a two year follow up, the same participants showed a continued improvement in GI issues and lessening of ASD related symptoms.
Neurological Factors and ASD
There are certain cell malfunctions of the brain that are showing some interesting findings through the biological research done at The Lieber Institute for Brain Development in Baltimore, MD.
Scientists have discovered that a reduction in the structure of myelin, a protective sheath that surrounds neurons or nerve cells of the brain in mice could have a correlation to autism.
The study which was published in Nature Neuroscience, identified the gene variant malfunction in oligodendrocytes (cells that produce myelin) as a possible reason for a breakdown of communication of nerve cells and diminished myelin production, stunting brain development.
Further research is ongoing to see if ASD related behaviors in people can be improved by activating myelin production using experimental mice models.
Innovative Testing
Getting an early read on autism in anyone can be difficult. Research scientists are working hard to find any biological or behavioral clues that could lead to an early diagnosis and treatment interventions. Because early detection gives the best long term outcomes for people with autism.
In a study appearing in the journal Autism Research, an innovative approach to finding more information about autism, involves analyzing data from auditory brainstem response (ABR) hearing tests in infants briefly after birth. This approach is taking place in the state of Florida , by researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston and the University of Miami.
The research team matched the records kept by the Florida Department of Education , to children who went on to develop autism or other developmental condition.
The findings showed that infants who scored slower brain response times to sounds in the ABR tests were the children who went on to receive an autism diagnosis.
Recognizing ASD early on from biomarkers is another new advancement in autism research.
A team of researchers looked at data from the Children’s Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP) and found autism in 53% of its participants.
Elizabeth L. Donley, director of the study at Stemina Biomarker Discovery in Madison, WI said :
“ Our approach to understanding the biology of autism is going to revolutionize how we diagnose and treat autism. Autism is diagnosed through behavioral assessment, but there are underlying biological reasons for the disruptions in neurodevelopment that result in the behaviors of autism”.
The goal is to find more specific and targeted treatments from identifying the metabolic differences in autistic people with neurotypicals.
Based of their current findings, certain autistic subtypes could benefit from supplementation, while others could be targeted for newer drugs.
The team of researchers already has completed the first three of five identifier subtype metabolism panels that are links to autism. They plan on finishing the remaining panels this year and start the first clinical study.
And lastly, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), is a nonprofit advocacy organization run and directed by autistic people, make some interesting and enlightening points by stating “ that most self-advocates agree that autism does not need to be cured. Instead of wasting time and money on something that is not possible and that autistic people do not want, we should focus on supporting autistic people to live good lives.”
ASAN went on to say, “ The most important thing is that any therapy should help autistic people get what they want and need , not what other people think we need. Good therapies focus on helping us figure out our goals, and work with us to achieve them”.
-A Balanced Brain is a Better Brain-